


Musubi Ito: The Winding Thread

by Torpi



Category: Naruto
Genre: Again, Cooking, Denial of Feelings, F/M, Gen, Humour, Madara is like Oda Nobunaga, Madara tries to take over the nations, Mental Illness, Mystery, Naruto in Feudal Japan (mostly), Non-Linear Narrative, Politics, SI’s are pulled into it, Teacher Madara, Trauma, Undercover, Unreliable Narrator, War, he is smart about it tho, madara is charismatic, madara uses his brains and brawn, semi-realistic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:09:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 52,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26564896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Torpi/pseuds/Torpi
Summary: A battle-hardened shinobi from the time of the founding of the villages meets a SI and his life is pulled out of order. In modern Japan, a Taiko group disappears during in a training camp in the mountains. In Konohagakure, under the second Hogake, an Uchiha policeman follows a series of civilian and shinobi disappearances. And from the shadows, Uchiha Madara tries to take over the nations.
Kudos: 1





	1. First loop

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, this is my first story in this fandom and it was born from my love (and frustrations) of SI on one hand and my love of Japanese language and culture on the other hand. I tried to give a new spin to the SI trope, while also focusing on what happens on the other side.  
> This is unbeta-ed and English is not my first language so corrections are welcomed. Thank you for reading. 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A shinobi gets more than he bargained for when he chooses the perfect pawn.

* * *

_Beppu Onsen village and hot springs resort, June K3 (three years after the founding of Konoha)  
_

* * *

  
My head throbs and my eyes are gritty but I sit patiently next to the window and keep watch on my target. His schedule is quite erratic, showing weakness of character if I’m to be frank, or a certain spontaneity if I wish to be charitable. He should get out from the _onsen_ around now, red and laughing with the others. Despite his erratic behaviour some things are constant: his love of baths and good food. I can see his close knit group, all of them belonging to one another, all their energy fields pulsing differently and yet harmoniously. I could always see who belongs and who doesn’t. I made a great profit off it, sniffing out traitors and spies. It has made me lots of enemies as well.

`It would be so easy if this was an assassination`, I thought, absently fingering a kunai. I need to sharpen it soon. It would be only too easy to slip something in his food and then wait. But the client had insisted he was not to be harmed. He just wanted information from certain documents. What’s the point, if you’re going to kill him by cutting away his fortune. Better to kill him and his family might still get some fortune off him. Oh wait, his client _was_ family. The kunai stopped twirling.

There goes the grocer’s wife, and here is the weapon smith’s son, going to his pretty lady friend and hoping to woo her with his poetry. Too bad he’s a peasant, he would be quite famous were he better connected. And suddenly, I see her. Air seems to warp around her energy field, seemingly loath to touch her. I blink and try to assess her without interference.

She is older than 25, although with a childish air that makes her appear younger. Brown short hair, limp and plastered to her head by sweat, brown eyes, light skin that gets rapidly red from the sun. Quite tall for a female. Body has slightly different proportions than usual. The small head fits into the beauty standard but the double lidded eyes are slightly too big, marking her as a foreigner. Eyebrows are natural and too thick. Mouth is small, with the prized rosebud shape. Face structure also slightly different than usual. My gaze drops to her chest. Average there. Her body shape would make her look bigger in a kimono, but the foreign style she’s wearing flatters her. A foreigner. But from where? Taken separately, no feature is extraordinary or strange, except for the double eyelid.

There was an air though, a sense of not belonging. That and the painfully obvious body language that screamed ‘I have no idea where I am and this is all so strange, but I’m trying to look purposeful so that people would leave me alone and not try to con me’. Too bad the face looked naïve and innocent. An easy target. A cute little animal that either gets smothered with love by a master or it’s killed by a predator immediately in the wild. 

Her eyes were flitting around and she seems torn between amazement, some giddy feeling and creeping horror. Her hesitation shows she has no idea where she’s going, although she seems to have enough brains to pretend she’s looking for something in particular. Oh, now that I see her better, the clothes are different as well, even for a foreigner. The fabric, and the cut have some subtle differences that mark her as an outsider even among the outsiders themselves. Even if trade is much better now, she shouldn’t be here. Definitely not alone. Thanks to the new village of Konohagakure making some semblance of order in the fire daimyo’s territory, there is enough traffic for people not to blink twice at strangers, but this also makes them more prone to close their eyes to someone’s misfortune.

My target goes out, laughing with his friends I sharpen my focus on him. I get up, my joints popping, prepared to shadow him. The girl seems dazed by the sun, or by the place. Like a lone tree in a fallow field. The horror must have won. She sways slightly and the breeze picks at her long skirt and makes it flutter like shining wings, an aborted and futile attempt at flying. My target’s eyes follow the movement and rest to her figure. He seems interested, not repelled. He goes down the street, and enters a clothes shop.

I think quickly and decide: she will be part of my plans. Until now I was unable to move forward as fast as I would have liked, despite posing as an aspiring young merchant, but with her as a catalyst, things will change. And I’ll get my money, go back to my family and live well for a while.

On the street, I approach her at first as an old lady, bent with age. I greet her. She seems dazed, but she responds quickly enough. Her speech is surprisingly correct, both in vocabulary and pronunciation. She uses cultured language, like a noble, and bows politely, with the assurance of somebody that only does it to be courteous. She is absolutely open with baasan-me. I pat her hand and give her an orange. She laughs, surprised, and thanks me politely and sincerely. She offers to help me carry my bags. I thank her and tell my nephew will take care of it. I start walking down the street and she follows me like a lost puppy. She’s so painfully eager. I ask her where she’s from and she stops and looks blankly for a while and then shrugs and says `probably far away’. She seems uncomfortable. I ask her if she has any relations here and she seems close to crying. She smiles and mumbles something about things working out somehow. So, she is optimistic and quite dumb. Or in denial. This can help you to survive or it can kill you.

I wish her luck and enter a shop. I go back to my target. He is eating at his favourite restaurant. Seafood again. So easy to kill him with something bad. Seafood can get bad so quickly here, inland.

I send a bunshin henged like a young messenger kid. He will take care of her, steer her away from potentially disastrous situations and most importantly, he will make sure she has little to no contact with other people. That could derail my plans. She seems like she likes children and she won’t be on her guard around him. He might get more information than an old granny.

After some hours of work as an errand-boy and spying from the shadows on my target’s meeting at the teahouse, I go look for her again. My target’s happiness and ease around his friends made me despise him and any good will I might have felt towards him had evaporated faster than morning dew in Suna. I discreetly signal my bunshin to leave and he makes an excuse to leave and soon dissipates, filling me with information about her. She told him quite a lot. I hurry to get to her before others can, slipping into the long shadows of the evening. My chakra reserves have dropped alarmingly and I have two blackouts on the way, but I must continue on despite the exhaustion. Soon it will be over.

She is now in the marketplace, next to the grocer’s stall. She seems to be helping the grocer pack the remaining vegetables. The woman observes her like a hawk, but the girl does not seem inclined to steal anything despite being obviously hungry. She gives her some money in the end, and tells her to buy something warm to eat and a futon for the night. She thanks her so effusively the grocer is embarrassed and shoos her away. I frown and prepare to act despite my chakra reserves being too low for all this work. The plan needs to be adjusted, unfortunately.

I shift to a dirty teenager with strawberry hair, run and bump into her and steal her money. I duck into an alley, change into an older man, a farmer with a kind and honest face, and watch her reaction. She seems bewildered and too tired to be truly angry. The twilight makes her loneliness even more obvious. Her shoulders slump in fatigue and defeat.

I go to her, put on a concerned air and tell her I saw what happened. I advise her to look smart and find a place to hunker down for the night because even if this place is quite safe, it isn’t for her, a pretty young girl with no connections. She thanks me but she seems guarded. She turns her body slightly so that she does not face me directly. She does not look into my eyes. I am not threatening. I’m not too tall, or bulky: rather and old man that still has some strength left, but not too much. Too old to be interested in girls. I start chatting about my nephews to put her at ease about my intentions. She gradually relaxes and even starts smiling a little in my direction. I tell her I’ll pay for her meal and a place to stay for one night because I couldn’t live with myself if I don’t help someone who reminds me of my dead niece who would be her age now. `How old are you, by the way?`, I ask. She seems touched and answers readily. Naïve and trusting quickly, I see. Judging by her hands, she has not passed through difficult times.

During the meal, I find out too much about her. Her likes and dislikes, her favourite foods, I hear about her education, her friends and her family. She talks too much about her personal life, as if nobody would take advantage of it. I encourage her to talk, and soon I know almost everything about her, even things she hasn’t said. With the right circumstances and stimuli, she will be easy to manipulate.

I personally escort her to a safe location, help her make arrangements with the _ō_ _kami_ and then leave, telling her I’ll send my nephew, an up-and-coming merchant who might help her with her predicament. She thanks me profusely. I stress she must not leave until he gets there. He looks like a younger version of me, I say, only more good looking. She smiles politely but is quite tired. Assured nothing will happen to her until morning, I go back to my target. He sits on the veranda, watching the rising moon. Next to him he has a cup of sake and his brushes. He looks idiotically at the shiny satellite and starts writing. He finishes with a flourish and reads it aloud. I must admit it is better than expected, although a bit too influenced by Ōno Rinka for my taste.

_Shinwara no_

_Enza ni tsuki no_

_Kyaku to naru._

_Sitting on a round mat from new straw,_

_I become moon’s guest.*_

After he goes to sleep, I keep vigil in a nearby tree, in the dark, and watch the silver moon as well, fighting to keep awake and alert. My traitorous mind conjures a foggy memory from my distant past, and I find myself reciting a poem by Kobayashi Issai, accompanied by the phantom voices of my older brother and sister.

_Hitonami ni_

_Tatami no ue no_

_Tsukimi kana._

_Like everybody else,_

_I lay on the tatami_

_And watch the moon._

My heart feels empty and I vow to myself I will finish this job as quickly as possible and go back home.

The next morning, after confirming my target’s schedule, I change to the character of the old man’s nephew, the only common character for both my targets, and go to find the girl. I find her waiting in the front of the inn. I greet her and in the first phrases I manage to slip that I’m married, madly in love with my wife and that we have 3 daughters I’m proud of. My praises to my wife and daughters disarm her and she shyly thanks me for helping her despite my busy schedule. I tell her sadly that I will leave soon and am unable to help her further but I can introduce her to someone who can and might. We go to my official appointment with my target and introduce them, her as a distant relative that has to look for work.

He definitely remembers her, and is quite taken with her, finds her charming. Her sincerity seems to win him over. Finding she is learned, and to his delight, finding she knows quite a lot of poems, he agrees to give her work as a clerk for a trial period. I took care of my target’s clerk, making sure the position would be open and no others available. 

She is a model female: cultured, modest, quiet and genuinely interested in what others have to say, not to mention compassionate. Soon he will eat from the palm of her hand because he knows she will not take advantage of it. Too bad he does not know who moves her. Before leaving, following the actual merchant’s schedule I am impersonating, I drop some hints to make her doubt her benefactor’s honesty. I tell her she should look for some documents and tell her in two weeks’ time I would be able to find her again. Thinking she will help some poor soul who is taken advantage of, she will do her best and she will succeed. The target is too smitten by her wide innocent eyes, but she can also sense it, and will use it to her advantage.

* * *

She gets the documents, and it’s been a week and a half. We meet behind the now closed grocer stall. The light from the setting sun is lovely, all brilliant reds with beautiful _murasaki_ clouds my niece loved to paint. I need to buy her supplies before I leave town.

Today the target apparently subtly proposed to her with a lovely poem, but she played dumb, tittered like an idiot and suddenly started behaving like a girl who tries to be flirty but is too stupid to do it. She tells me this, nervously, not knowing I watched them all day. She will need to be extracted quickly since she seems she won’t be able to keep up the act much longer.

I briefly toy with the idea of taking the documents and leaving her, but that would make my target suspicious, and she will definitely start blabbing quickly. Silencing her permanently does have some appeal but again, the target would be too interested and my involvement might become known.

I start to tell her I also have a confession to make and she blanches. In a fit of madness, I tell her the truth. That all her so-called independence, all her encounters were a lie. The words taste bitter. It’s not entirely a lie. I feel better in more skins. I can belong then, just a little.

She watches me, eyes wide, body tense. She is scared. During my little confession, oh so different from the love confession she must have expected, I become me. I am no longer disguised to lull her into a sense of security or not hurt her sensibilities. She sees my real height, my real bulk, my real face. She blanches. Must be the scars. Or the expression. Or everything I am. I tell her she can either become the merchant’s mistress and have a brief respite, or she can follow me and maybe survive longer. I ignore her babbling about not really having anything with her (much better that she didn’t seem to wish to leave), and start walking out of the town. The day has started to darken into night.

Hesitantly, she follows me. We go towards the Ishigaki village, my meeting point with my contact. I will leave the documents there. If I were by myself, I would get there in about eight days. With her it might take twice as much, maybe more.

I look back and try to calculate her pace. She had started admiring the stars and almost falls into a ditch. I grab her before she tumbles down and breaks her neck. She is surprised and I see it, the moment she starts trusting me again. She only needs a small kindness to do so. She relaxes and the silence becomes more companionable.

After three days, we are on the road, much behind my schedule. We walk at a snail pace. She is not used to walking long distances, but fortunately she does not complain. Everything is new for her and she is enthusiastic, like on an adventure. Sometimes she sings and her voice cracks a lot and is quite thin, but once in a while she breathes properly and sings beautifully. She loves cooking and insists to buy some seasoning from a small farm and tries to season the food. We scrape and eat a lot of burnt rice before she gets the hang of cooking over a campfire. Sometimes her combinations are strange. She is undaunted and laughs. She still doesn’t take this seriously. She tells me about her life, even more things now, since she knows the `the real me`. It’s uncomfortable, knowing so much about someone.

After five days I start teaching her some basic self-defence moves when we stop, just to make her shut up. She starts enthusiastically, if clumsily at first. Her body, bigger than an average female gives her an advantage, but her spatial awareness is execrable. I have to show her the _kata_ and their applications in a real fight again and again and she keeps forgetting them. She needs explanations. She wants to know why and how. I tell her to shut up and do it until she does not think anymore. She frowns but does it and performs abysmally.

We start practicing actual throws and hits she might use on bigger opponents. She is not afraid to press her body against mine. This shows she hasn’t been in a real fight. She trusts I won’t actually hurt her. I throw her down and tie her up with her hands behind her back, her arms bent with the elbows facing straight down. I am also tempted to hit her, to show her how it would really feel in a real fight, but she is so weak this will become a liability later on the road. We still need to walk all day tomorrow. She will move awkwardly tomorrow anyway, from the ropes.

She is bewildered at first. Asks me why tied her up. When things become uncomfortable, she politely asks to be untied. When I ignore her she asks again, louder. She begs, she screams, she waits silently, she almost wrenches her shoulders out of their sockets. She will have a nasty rope burn. When she is too exhausted to move, I go to her and turn her on her back so she can breathe easier. She is silent but her eyes beg me to untie her. I ignore her all night.

In the morning I untie her and she thanks me coldly. Her joints are stiff and must hurt a lot. It takes a while to make them move again. She frequently gasps in pain. Her wrists and upper arms have rope burns, with places where the skin had peeled off. She will need treatment before they get infected. 

The next day she is silent and attacks the exercises with great concentration despite her injuries. She soon improves immensely by actually focusing, but her psychological balance is shot. She is furious with me. It helps her now but it will come back to bite her later down the road. She does not get close to me anymore. When we train now, she tries to throw me as far as possible. She’s learning.

I hoped it will pass quickly, but after another week on the road it becomes apparent she can hold a grudge indefinitely and it only seems to get stronger. I realize she has also observed me and learnt a lot about me during our trip. She starts with subtle jabs, comments that she knows will get under my skin. Her tongue is her weapon and I underestimated it. My chest starts hurting somewhere I can’t pinpoint. I wish she would stop sulking. She doesn’t sing anymore. She cooks better but stops seasoning the food. Eating becomes again only something done for survival, not pleasure. 

The rainy season starts while we are one day from my meeting point and week away from the village of Konoha. While being soaked by rain, I tell her it’s a new village that accepts shinobi from everywhere. A place where you can begin anew as a civilian as well. It would be prudent to disappear there for a while, a new adventure. She nods and continues being polite, distant, frosty.

Of course she gets a bad head cold because she got wet in the rain. We are forced to stop two more days at Ishigaki, the meeting point, but my attempts at nursing her back to full health do not have any success. By the time we get close to Konoha we both are even more miserable. We are not even walking together anymore. She is about two hours ahead of me, trying to get to a satellite settlement of Konoha where she hopes she will get more medicine. I, who had despised the slow pace we had to adopt from her lack of endurance, am now the one dragging my feet. They feel like dead weights. I will stay in Konoha for a little while and then go home, I repeat again and again in my head. I look up to the horizon and I see with surprise the day is almost over. This kind of carelessness could have gotten me killed. It’s good the Konohans keep their borders quite safe. I pick up the pace, thinking to tell her there’s a summer festival starting soon, and that we can rest and even have some fun there.

I arrive one hour after her, to smoking buildings, rubble, some bodies littering the streets. Most of them are moaning in pain, from burns or deep cuts. She is among them. She lays on the ground, body contorting in pain. Half her face is burned to the bone. Her right arm looks like melted wax. Fat has burned and her clothes are fused to the skin in places where the burn is not that severe. A wind jutsu cut her torso to ribbons. It must hurt to breathe, to live. There’s nobody next to her, everybody is clustered around their own tragedies. Close to her is a boy. She must have tried to save him and stupidly got into the line of fire. The boy she had tried to save is already dead. The victim’s mother sobs next to her child.

I force myself to go past without stopping, to make myself just another passerby. She will suffer and die alone. Later, I go to the teahouse. The topic is of course, the fight and the tragedies. She is only a footnote in their speech. They are more interested in the building’s damage. Shadows dance in front of my vision, in the corner of my eyes. I hear one say loudly that Uchiha are to blame. Some inter-clan training that got a bit out of hand. Apparently the clan heads responsible will personally come here tomorrow to apologise and make repairs. They are being diplomatic and showing their good-will. They try to change their image, from thugs to benefactors.

The next day I am a shadowed presence at the public apology from the clan heads. They express their regrets about the farmer’s son’s death and the injured villagers and promise to make sure this kind of incidents do not happen anymore. She is never mentioned.

After a bit of careful listening around I find out who was there that day. Which Uchiha is responsible for that jutsu. Although they are ostensibly allies, the animosity still runs deep. The village is too young. Finding an informed Senju and making an offhand remark was all it took for him to go on a rant about those good-for-nothing Uchihas.

I go for him the next evening. He has received some absurdly light penalty and has to patrol quite a bit strip of forest alone, probably to meditate on what he has done. I will make sure he pays for it in full.

He is a prodigy but I am calm, like an iced lake. I know I will win. I go and see him stumbling around the forest, dazed. He is also different, he does not fit neatly into this world either, despite having an Uchiha face. I waste no time. I attack and ask him why he killed someone who was like him, the coward. He breaks down completely, grips my hands and sobs `I’m sorry, I’m sorry`, but I cut his throat. His eyes were crimson at last. I would have liked for him to have struggled more.

The Uchiha will probably try to hunt me down, but they don’t know about me. They have no one with a motive. The victim’s family isn’t rich enough to pay for such a service. No one has made the connection to the civilian caught in a crossfire and an unaffiliated shinobi. I didn’t use any jutsu. Only cold steel.

I risk returning for her body. She was dumped as an afterthought, so nobody will miss her. She is past the stiff stage. She is bloated and meat sloughs off her no matter how carefully I try to move her. Flesh flies and carrion beetles thrived on her. It stinks. I put her in a scroll and finally leave for home.

If she and the Uchiha boy were both strangers, there is a possibility there are others. Maybe I will meet her again, in another body, with another face. Or maybe I’ll meet someone else, someone who has known her.

I burn the scroll, take her ashes and put them next to my family’s. My older brother with his lovely wife and three daughters. My grandparents who always gave me sticky _mochi_ and _mikan_. My youngest brother. My older sister who made the best red miso paste. They wait for her. They have already met through me, except for my nieces and my sister-in-law. But I’m sure there won’t be any problem there. They are similar, she and my sister-in-law, and she loves kids.

And after I rest with them for a while, I will go and search, and hope. I see them, the strangers that do not quite fit into this world, no matter how much they are disguised in bodies that conform to ours. Maybe I am the same.


	2. Second Loop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A SI suddenly finds herself in the middle of nowhere with her luggage and does her best to adapt.

_Terraced rice fields K7, late summer (seven years after the construction of Konohagakure)_

* * *

I blink and Kansai International Airport’s cool air and hubbub is replaced with silence.

After the first few moments of disorientation, I check again. Terraced rice fields are gently undulating in the breeze. And then the wave of heat hits. Cicadas are singing loudly enough to make my ears ring. My clothes get instantly soaked with sweat from the humid heat. It’s hard to breathe and the sunrays beat mercilessly on every inch of my body. Dragonflies fly around.

My first thought is ‘Am sure glad I waxed yesterday”. I take an experimental step and the ground is real, hard-packed uneven earth. My hands are still full with my luggage so I mentally cross the list of basic things I have: summer clothes, suntan, make-up remover, soap and deodorant. Snacks that will probably last me four days. Water for one day. Drugs for headaches, stomachache and allergies, also check. My period has just ended so I still have pads. All in all I’m pretty loaded, I think.

And then I sit down and scream and cry for what I hope it’s only five minutes or so. I know I need to get moving. Shelter is first I think. And making sure nobody tries to steal, kill or torture me during sleep. I desperately need to change my clothes. Unfortunately I must do so while being visible from every angle, unless I step down in the muddy rice fields.

„This is fun”, I loudly say to myself while rummaging through bags of snacks, pads, and souvenirs from Korea. „This is an amazing adventure. Why it’s like rural Japan, it’s where I wanted to go anyway.”

Why, why now? Seriously, I waited so much to go back to Japan and now when I finally got there, I get transported to another world? Screw that. Gimme back the _hanbaiki_ , _sukiya_ , _kaitenzushi_ , Book Off and Anime shops. I need to see my friends and go together to _manzai_ comedy shows, do _karaoke_ all night and play _otome_ games while laughing at the characters. I get depressed again and need to stop and savagely eat a chocolate while mourning the matcha desserts I won’t be able to eat anymore soon.

I stand up and decide I will make my own sweets. I already bought matcha powder from Korea. I will do it. And I will go back and eat every type of food Japan has to offer.

First of all though, I desperately need a bathroom.

After walking down the slopes long enough I get tired, hot and annoyed with everything and only wish for some dark cool place, I see some hazy figures, most probably farmers. I almost shout for them. But…I have no idea if the group is mixed or not. I’m too far apart to tell. I give up and slide down next to my poor abused luggage. It is even more a city boy than me. He was not made to walk the fields. While I comfort and pat him consolingly on the sides to clean the dust, I hear someone clearing his throat behind me.

I turn and with the sun in my eyes I see a huge bear at first. My eyes travel up and up, to a scarred face, mostly blurred in shadows. It’s a Big Guy. Correction, a Huge Guy. The wild hair and body odour hit next. I look at him open mouthed and then I blurt out:

`Kuma-san, I choose you. Be my bodyguard. I leave myself in your care`.

Kuma-san looks incredulous. I quickly rummage in my baggage and take my only bottle of green tea, still quite cold, and offer it to him along with a matcha choux crème, limited edition. After a beat, he nods, reaches out with a huge hand, takes my offering and first drinks, and then starts eating. I gulp. My throat feels dry. I have nothing left to drink. I lean back nonchalantly on my luggage, partly obscuring it from his view. After he finishes, he gives me back the containers. The situation feels so unreal I don’t care anymore. I’m not afraid and I’m starting to have fun. In the back of my mind I realize this is going to bite me later, that I am in denial and things will probably get ugly. But for now, confidence is key.

  
Kuma-san wipes his mouth and finally utters his first words. He introduces himself as Masanobu, shinobi for hire, returns my greeting and then unceremoniously shoves me away from my baggage, opens it and starts rummaging. He tells me which clothes and items I can sell and for how much. They will have to go to his pay. I nod and haggle on the things I’ll need. He shakes his head and tells me I’m terrible at haggling. I shrug.

Electronics are obsolete here. I take a selfie with him on my phone and put it away. I’ll only use it on important things. He watches but makes no further comment. We start walking and I realize my shoes will not make it. My body is definitely not ready for this. Masanobu looks at me, grimaces and hoists me up on his back. Things don’t get much better.

After a couple of days with alternate piggy-back rides, walking, and eating dubious rations, he gets so annoyed with my lack of shape and passive aggressive complaints, he threatens to kill me and be done with it if I don’t pick one option and stick to it. I choose walking because I got too many bruises in places I shouldn’t have from all the weapons and luggage he carries around and in which I inevitably bumped. At least with walking I’ll only kill my legs.

In the first village we sell half of my clothes. Masanobu lied to me when he said I get to choose what to keep. When I complain, he tells me to shut up and do my best to blend in. My way of talking is too educated and my normal clothes paint a target on my back. We leave for the next point where he hopes to get a better price. I extol the beauty of language at the campfire that evening but the smoke makes my allergies act up so I start coughing and my eyes start the waterworks. Masanobu seems positively gleeful. The other people we meet on the way seem scared of him. I refuse to think on what this implies and choose to think they only watch his face and make their own uninformed conclusions. I am the amazing person who saw beyond his thug face to the nice person inside. I repeat this firmly while he sells every last of my possessions, including my period pads and nail scissors. When Masanobu tries to sell my phone as well, he finds out that’s my sticking point. It’s where I draw the line. I make such a scene he finally relents. My arguments must have paid off, I think smugly.

Soon I will curse him for my missing pads and wax sheets but for now I take another commemorative photo with me in a garish brown and vomit green yukata, courtesy of Masanobu (it goes well with your name, Umeko-chan, it’s the leaves to your plum flower, he says mockingly), and Masanobu himself in his usual gear. I tell him he should change his clothes and he tells me if I want that I need to pay it from my pockets. I tell him I’ll just walk upwind from him then. Seeing the picture, Masanobu mentions you can identify people very easily with that. I grin unpleasantly and put the phone in my pouch and then in the yukata’s chest pocket. He tells me to take care of it. I nod and we go on.

Finding I love cooking, and remembering the sweets and snacks I had with me (alas, sold with big money that he took as payment), when we arrive at an apparently famous teashop where he has connections, he somehow manages to get me to perform in front of some merchants. I do my best with cooking with totally different utensils and they are quite impressed. One keeps looking at me weirdly and starts a poem while looking at me expectantly. I have just started diving into Matsuo Basho and _Hyakunin Isshu_ so I have no idea what he wants. I am tempted to reply with Ono no Komachi’s famous poem, but something stops me. He looks sad and then continues talking. The atmosphere had been weird. In the end I get an offer to go to the Capital to work there for half a year. On the way, I’ll stop by Konoha, Arima Onsen, Beppu and a few other locations they have teahouses in and teach them new recipes. I agree, on the condition I have Masanobu as bodyguard.

We get to Konoha and stay there for three months. Apparently the teahouse has many important patrons, with many clan heads among them. I generally stay in the kitchen buildings but sometimes I catch a fleeting glimpse of our esteemed patrons while running errands. Once, a clan head with black hair came in with a huge metal fan. A short while after, another came dripping blood all over the polished wood. I screamed at him and he seemed annoyed. It was the Hokage. Sometimes they argued, sometimes the silence was oppressive. And sometimes raucous laughter, boasts and shouts signaled a friendly meeting.

We leave Konoha for Arima at the beginnig summer and stay there four months. I get used to the work and the routine. Masanobu is a silent presence during evenings. I have no idea what he does during the day, but nobody ever attacked or tried to con me when I went out, so he must have done something right.

When the _momiji_ start changing colours and the fan shaped leaves of the _ginko_ trees change to sunny yellow, we leave Arima for Beppu. We get attacked while crossing the mountains.

One moment we are walking, in the next the earth slids from under my feet and I’m thrown in the air. I land awkwardly. Around me the fight has already started. Masanobu faces off against a smaller opponent. In the blur of movements I see a sharp featured face I instantly dislike. I desperately try not to get in Masanobu’s way while trying not to get hit with any of the jutsu they throw around. The other is at a disadvantage in a direct fight with Masanobu so he tries to use the environment to make him stumble. Judging from the others’ speed, if Masanobu loses his footing he’s done for. Two times I’m almost killed by stray rocks and this reminds me I have to get away faster. One hits my shoulder so hard I fall. My left eye barely escapes being gouged out by a sharp corner. My face explodes in pain and I feel the skin has split. Blood comes pouring down my left side. My right arm is numb with pain. I crawl away as fast as possible. Distance is the only thing that’ll save me. The enemy shinobi shouts after me. He knows my name, my real name, which makes me stumble in shock. My stomach plummets even further. Masanobu only knows me as Kisaragi Umeko. How does the unknown assailany know my real name? In the end I focus on getting to a safer location. I watch from afar, hidden behind an outcropping, and after a short while Masanobu finally manages to drive him off, away from the direction I went in. I am relieved and limp back to him. He helps me clean my face and uses what he calls chakra to speed the healing. I am left only with a painful bruise, not the open wound I had before. We continue. 

The next days we get attacked constantly by the same unknown shinobi. He creeps on me when I try to wash in the morning, when I try to pee, when I am more than a step away from Masanobu. It gets tiring and terrifying for me and exhausting for both of us. Only our attacker seems to never tire.

In the end I am caught during the night. The unknown assailant gags me and takes me away. Masanobu lies still. I kick and cry and the psycho assures me he’s not dead yet. If he manages to wake up in the next two hours he’ll live. If not, hypothermia will kick in and he’ll keep dreaming to his death.

After carrying me for what feels like an eternity, he stops, throws me down and interrogates me the whole night, with pleads and threats. To all his questions and insinuations I answer negatively. I do not know him. I never saw him. I have not visited the land of Fire before. I am not 28. He continues grilling me, trying to find holes in my statements. Sharp rocks dig painfully into my back. I shift and he grinds his heel in my abdomen, pushing me back harder, making the stones dig harder in my back. His dark silhouette is blurred by an explosion of white spots. My answers become incoherent. I shiver from cold or fear, and definitely from rage. I refuse to answer to my name.

In the end, satisfied or unsatisfied with my answers, he seems to have reached a decision. He stops asking questions, briskly unties me and tells me to follow him. I look at him dumbly. One, I can’t get up. Two, I will definitely NOT follow him, anywhere, at any time. I need to signal to Masanobu somehow. If he managed to wake up. If the psycho didn’t lie. I can crawl, I think. If I remember how my extremities move. My throat is raw from the cold air and all the screaming I must have done. My body feels abused. And above all floats my tormentor’s face, sharp featured and twisted, with the burning eyes of a madman.

The shinobi looks back and seeing my difficulty comes back and offers me his hand to help me get up. I recoil. After I manage to get up without immediately falling, he offers me a shiny orange _mikan_ , full of fragrance. It sits incongruously in front of my eyes. He tells me it will help my parched throat. I cannot refuse even if I hate him. I am thirsty and he might not take it well if I refuse his second offer. I wonder if he’s trying the stick and carrot approach. If I remember well, in Japanese it’s candy and whip. I got the whip already so he must think it’s time for the sweet approach. My hands feel so weak and stiff I have difficulty keeping the fruit. I wish I could chuck it at him. I wish I were with Masanobu. I wish none of this have happened. I wish I stayed home. All my hope for adventure, for the new, shrivels and dies. I feel a dark pit opening in my mind.

He must have sensed something. He comes closer. I flinch when he touches my shoulder carefully. I half turn towards him and I blackout. I wake up with Masanobu’s face floating before my eyes. I am so happy I launch into his arms and hug him. I start bawling, my body protesting with every movement. But it is worth it. Masanobu’s bulk, Masanobu’s warmth, even his smell are comforting. Our attacker has left the _mikan_ next to a beautifully folded _Shiro Tsubaki_. The meaning of the flower makes me sick. He is waiting. Masanobu gently helps me up and stays close to me all day.

I remain uneasy. The next time we stop, we find a message. Since it’s written in _gyosho_ style, cursive calligraphy, I can only conclude it’s quite fresh and that the person writing it has some serious skills. The small white camellia accompanying the message gives the only clue as to the author. He could have written anything: Take the left turn, I am stupid, there’s a treasure under this rock. You are ugly. – I say as much to Masanobu and he laughs tersely. I know he had checked it before to make sure there wasn’t any nasty surprise attached to it, as he had done with the white folded camellia and the _mikan_ fruit. Even so, I took it with my gloves on, did not breathe on it, I took it with a pair of chopsticks and I keep it separately. We do not burn it. It might prove to be a clue. 

We continue and we get to Beppu without further incidents, which I find ominous. Nothing happens and soon I get into the usual routine. I ignore my nightmares. Masanobu sleeps in my room and this makes me feel safer. This time I interact with the customers more during the day. The traffic is huge since it’s such a popular destination. The owner of the teahouse gives me my own small street stall for 3 hours a day during lunch hours. It is considered as my own separate business and encourages me not to divulge the recipes to the competition. I suspect the merchant with the weird behavior might have had some hand in this. Usually you don’t get accepted so easily in a branch you are not an established master. I am nobody even if Masanobu does have many relations. Another mystery. The paper message from the unknown shinobi burns into the back of my mind. I do my best to block everything that happened that night.

I throw myself into my work. I love it even if it’s tiring. I love talking with customers, merchants, farmers and the odd lower class samurai. One is especially nice. We start chatting during a lull in business and when he leaves, Masanobu comes and discreetly tells me he’s the one who attacked us. The happiness turns sour and I feel like vomiting.

Soon we move on to Suna. He follows us, far enough we only see a smudge, but always present. The nightmares become so bad, that night of torture replayed over and over, Masanobu laying cold and the shinobi laughing at me, that I lay awake all night, trembling and in breaking into cold sweat. I can’t sleep. I start hallucinating from lack of sleep and stress. I snap from any little thing. I see my control slipping and I’m powerless to do anything about it. Masanobu becomes grim. One day I wake up from my first dreamless sleep in a long time to the psycho’s leering face. Masanobu is gone.

`Name’s Hanae`, he says. `I will accompany you from now on.`

Rage tides me over and takes over my survival instinct. I lunge at him screaming. He punches me hard in the gut. I collapse, heaving, and vomit yesterday’s dinner.

`Sloppy~` I hear a foreboding tone. `It’s time we remedy that.`

And so my hell begins.


	3. First Knot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SI and her ‘travelling companion` meet others who have arrived in Naruto. In the primary world, Uchiha Madara pleads amnesia after being found unconscious from multiple wounds in a hot spring in Deception Island, Antarctica and Japan is abuzz with the strange disappearance of three students.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***indicates POV change.  
> AN/ Naruto, I love you but you have so many inconsistencies and plot holes it gets really hard to put things together. The chapter after the next, after we meet all the players, will have a detailed timeline on both worlds to make things easier to understand. Thank you for reading.

_23 months later, K11 (eleven years after the construction of Konohagakure)_

* * *

The Obon festival is in full swing. On the main stage in Beppu, the Kodo Taiko drum group under the patronage of the Stone Daimyo is close to the end of their performance. The fireworks, released in tandem with the beats are better than ever. The food stalls from the main street glow in the warm light of hundreds of coloured paper lanterns. Fried calamari and fish, _yakisoba_ , _takoyaki_ octopus balls, straweberry _daifuku_ , sticky rice _mochi_ and shaved ice with crushed fruits vie for the attentions of passers-by. Soon, the paper lanterns will be released on the river and into the air to celebrate the ancestors’ visit to their families.

On stage, the drums begin beating the rhythm to the Obon dance and everybody makes a loose circle and starts moving with the steps. From the stage, Arao sees a girl with a pink yukata gracefully move her hands and taking dainty steps forward and backward. He signals to Mizumachi, who grins and raises his _bachi_ in agreement before continuing. Matsumoto, who is now on the _shamisen_ , shakes his head and indicates with his head a tall older woman in a dark blue yukata with golden obi who moves elegantly, her _kanzashi_ swinging in time with her steps. Takahashi and Tanaka-senpai are too into the beat to pay close attention to the dancers. The girls seem more excited about the food stalls, judging from the intense concentration on their faces. Mayu-chan almost starts quickening the rhythm to be done faster. A disapproving look from Kuroda-senpai quells her down. Sayuri and Yūjiro are too into each other to see much else. The way Yūjiro fingers his flute while gazing at his girlfriend and the way Sayuri grips and twirls the _bachi_ in response makes Arao think Tadanobu _buch_ _ō_ would make a point to scold them about. _Buchō_ cannot see them though. Umehara and Yoshida _senpai_ are down with the dancers, simultaneously beating the drums and entertaining a gaggle of little children, and Tadanobu _buch_ _ō_ mingles with the dancers, singing. It’s so close to home it hurts.

After they finish, Kuroda-senpai jumps with Mayu-chan from the stage and they practically run for the _takoyaki_ stall. Mizumachi slaps Matsumoto on the back after he puts his instrument in its cover, and Arao to joins them, wiping his forehead with his already soaked towel.

`We made a bet`, Mizumachi says grinning conspiratorially. `Umehara-senpai is gonna ask that pretty girl in a pink yukata for a date.`

`She won’t accept.` Takahashi senpai says from behind, making them jump. `She is engaged`.

`Ran-chan, seriously, stop making deductions`, groans Mizumachi. `You are almost always wrong anyway`.

`Should we make a different deduction then? Mayu-chan and Sumire-san will buy all the _takoyaki_ before you lazy bums get there`, Tanaka senpai shouts merrily, making a run for the food stalls as well. In his haste, while skirting around a couple of kids, he almost bowls Umehara-senpai over. Umehara-senpai’s melon _kakigori_ now soaks his front and he curses after Tanaka’s rapidly retreating form.

`Oi, Takahashi, what the hell are you doing? Pay attention, you idiot`.

‘Sorry, senpai!`, Tanaka shouts, `I’ll apologise with _takoyaki_.`

`I’m here, senpai!` gestures Takahashi. `Please stop mixing us already`.

`Aren’t you relatives?`, Umehara senpai asks trying to get the stain off. He only manages to smear the yellow juice more.

`We are only from the same place, senpai!` Takahashi says exasperated.

`Same difference then`, Umehara senpai grins and finally decides to leave his ruined clothes alone. `Have fun at the festival and don’t forget to stay together with at least one more person. Do not fight or enter any arguments. If you see anything suspicious, you come and tell me or _buchō._ Do you understand, Takahashi?`.

`Yes, senpai. It was Tanaka who…`

`Yes, yes`, Umehara says dismissively. `Here, catch, Ran-chan`. He throws the money pouch to Takahashi. `Buy something nice for all of you. And some strawberry _daifuku_ for _buchō_. Have fun!`

`What are you going to do, senpai?`, Mizumachi asks innocently. `Will you admire the moon with someone?`.

`Upset you don’t have a date, Kou-kun?` replies Umehara-senpai. `I’m sure your friends will be eager to help you get one. Now shoo.`

`Thank you, senpai!`, shouts Arao.

`We’ll make sure to spend all the money`, adds Matsumoto.

`And we’ll bring you some more _kakigori_ to soothe your inevitable burn.` Yelled Mizumachi. `That girl is married`.

`She’s engaged, you idiot`, retorts Takahashi, punching his shoulder.

`Same difference`, mocks Matsumoto and they all start giggling.

`I’m the one making your workout routine for tomorrow`, shouts back Umehara senpai. `You better not get on my bad side, Matsu-kun`.

`Yes, yes, senpai whatever you say!` laughs Matsumoto.

Closer to the stalls, Yoshida senpai approaches them eating a squid on a stick. `This is better than everything back home`, he says munching on a leg.

`Better than the one in Hokkaido, senpai? asks Arao curiously. ` I thought the squid from your birthplace was the best.` _Nipponichi,_ you kept saying.`

`This is not Japan though, isn’t it`, replies Yoshida senpai. On seeing their faces, he shrugs and ruffles Mizumachi’s hair. `Don’t worry kids, we’ll make sure you get back safe. We are your senpai so we’ll take care of you no matter what.`

`What’s with the long faces?` Tanaka senpai asks suddenly from the back. `Where is Yūjiro-kun? Did he disappear again?`, he continues, craning his neck to search for him, his arms full of steaming _takoyaki_.

`He’s probably with Sayuri-chan.`, replies Takahashi.

`I sure hope those two don’t do something stupid and get a kid`, groans Tanaka senpai scrunching his nose.

`At least they have some fun`, replies Yoshida senpai unconcerned.

`Unlike Umehara senpai~`, Mizumachi and Tanaka senpai say at the same time. The group starts laughing and Arao finds his heart lighter. Mayu-chan and Kuroda-senpai also come over, smiling excitedly.

`Yoshida-san, check this out`, says Kuroda Senpai. `They sell castella cakes here. And Croquettes. `

`Really?`, everybody asks surprised.

`I was not aware they knew that`, Tanaka senpai says thoughtfully. `Yosh, Yoshida-kun, let’s go then. We are on a mission to sample everything.` And so he drags Yoshida-senpai away.

`Is there any chance we have a way to go back then?` Matsumoto asks.

`We talked to the vendor` Mayu-chan replies. `He learnt the recipe from a travelling agent of the Konoha silk merchant guild’s teahouse chain.`

`Sounds complicated`, observes Takahashi.

`Yeah, I have no idea if it’s true or not. He kept calling me cute and he even gave me free cakes. Maybe he just wanted to sound mysterious.`, replies Mayu-chan, blushing.

`Mayu-chan, Takahashi-kun, please go and seach for our baka love couple` , says Kuroda-senpai. ‘I’ll go find _buchō_ , I have some green tea mochi for him.`

`Don’t leave us alone, Mayu chan’, begs Mizumachi. ‘We’ll be the only ones without a date’. 

`Senpai, that’s not true at all`, Mayu says blushing.

`Yeah, don’t be so optimistic about Taiki’s chances`, replies Kuroda-senpai smirking.

`Umehara senpai always goes after girls who are already committed. It’s his curse.` says Arao.

`More like fetish`, replies Matsumoto. `We’ll leave you two to have a nice time together`, he adds pointedly looking at Takahashi. `Maybe buy and share a candy apple, it would make the experience better.`

`Stop, senpai`, Mayu-chan stammers blushing furiously. `Takahashi-senpai, I think I saw Yūjiro-senpai and Sayuri-chan at the goldfish catching competition. We should probably go there first.`

`Of course, Mayu-chan`, says Takahashi gallantly. He gives her his arm. `We should not get separated’, he adds with a straight face.

`Whoa, he’s at it again. Tanaka must have rubbed off on him with his _shojo_ love stories`, murmurs Mizumachi.

`Girls love it` Kuroda senpai says smiling. `It also doesn’t hurt he has a nice voice. Well boys, I’m off. See you around and don’t do anything too stupid.`

‘Yes, Kuroda senpai!,` the three chorus obediently.

`Should we take the food stalls one by one? I want to try the green tea shaved ice and Castella`, says Matsumoto.

`I want to try the _taiyaki_ `, says Mizumachi. ‘But I kinda wanna try all of them so, in order we go!` he adds still full of energy.

The food is warm, the desserts are cold, the atmosphere is festive and Mizumachi and Matsumoto’s antics pull Arao out of his dark thoughts. He starts monkeying around with them, the darkness lifted from his heart. They take all the stalls one by one and eat everything. They sporadically see the others and wave in greeting. Unknown people also come and congratulate them on their performance. They are the second time at the _taiyaki_ stall because Mizumachi can’t get enough, when it happens. On his left, Mizumachi and Matsumoto are trying hard to choose the best _taiyaki_ to the annoyance of the other customers in line. While waiting on the side, Arao sees a girl coming towards him, smiling. She is dressed in a blue yukata, with camellias sewn in white and golden thread. A step behind her follows a good looking guy, probably a bodyguard. He looks stern, a total contrast to the girl’s open, innocent face. Arao discreetly checks her. She has quite a nice body. He almost smiles back when the expression on her bodyguard’s face makes him freeze. Arao can now see his full face. A puckering scar raises from the right corner of his mouth, going all the way up to his temple. The girl comes to Arao and smiles delightedly. He feels awkward, smiles and bows.

‘Your performance was amazing`, she says. She looks a bit different from others, like a half European.

`Are you half?` Arao asks unthinkingly.

`Haafu?` she repeats slowly.

`Ah, well,` Arao starts when Takahashi senpai and Mizumachi start re-enacting the last part of the sea bream restaurant skit, shouting `Taaaaai!` to the steaming red bean _taiyaki_ they have just bought.

The girl is suddenly in Arao’s face, gripping his arms hard enough to hurt.

`Are you Japanese?`, she asks looking at him intensely.

Arao feels his mouth dry off.

`Yes`, he replies.

`You too?`, she asks the idiot duo.

`Yes, we are`, they reply bewildered. ` And you..?`

The girl screams in joy and hugs them fiercely. She starts babbling incoherently, but she seems happy, and she laughs and cries and Arao and the others get pulled in her emotions and laugh and hug exuberantly.

On the side, the bodyguard watches disapprovingly.

She stops and asks `Are there more of you?`.

`Yes`, Mizumachi answers instantly. `I guess this is a good time to call Umehara senpai and _buch_ _ō_.` He moves on to leave, when the bodyguard stops him.

`Leave him, Hanae-san.`, the girl, woman, Arao corrects himself, says forcefully. The bodyguard, Hanae, silently lets Mizumachi leave.

`We need to talk`, she continues seriously. She grips Arao’s arm hard enough to bruise and he finds out he grips back just as hard. A warm feeling starts spreading in his chest. Maybe finally there is someone who has the answers. Who can get them home.

*****

Hanae watches her meet the other performers, jump and shout with them and retreats, choosing to shadow them silently. The raucous group seems to be going towards the Rising Moon teahouse where she had been working for the past five months. On arriving there, they order food as if they hadn’t just eaten earlier, lots of plum sake (while sniggering towards one of them, apparently called Umehara, who loudly says plum sake is for sissies, which makes the others laugh harder), complain about not having something called _biiru_ and immediately start talking. Hanae rests in a dark corner, watching the light of the lanterns bathe the scene in a warm happy glow.

After the first greetings and introductions, from the captain to the youngest member, they start reminiscing on summer festivals in a place called Japan. Their energy crackles together harmoniously, in tune with each other. They are similar. Here, the waitress’s aura is the one who is jarring. This place has become a pocket of the otherworld. He feels torn with longing and hate and jealousy rippling through him.

They talk until sunrise. Hanae listens and observes and catalogues them. He thinks how he could kill each of them and how it would impact the group. How he could worry at the weaknesses he sees there, like a dog with a bone and make their harmony dissapear. If the one called Umehara disappears, the others will be devastated. If Arao dies, the group would scatter. Every one of them is close. Every one of them would make the group weaker. It won’t matter who disappears in the end, he decides.

Arao notices him, smiles awkwardly and comes up to him with a tray. On it there is sake, cold tea and different snacks. Arao puts the tray carefully next to him, shifts to _seiza_ , with his hands folded on his lap and makes a shallow kneeling bow.

`Hello, _yojinbo_ -san. My name is Arao Taiki. It is nice to meet you.`

Hanae hums with apparent disinterest and stays silent. Arao seems uncomfortable but continues waiting for a response. Tadanobu, the captain, had been watching and intervenes.

`Hanae-san, we apologize for ignoring you for so long. We ask for your understanding, since it seems you know of our…situation. Please, do join us’, he says, gesturing for him to come over. Everybody turns to him and makes noises of agreement.

Hanae hesitates. He does not feel comfortable around them. He did not feel pressured to join, Hanae tells himself as sits in their circle, engulfed by the bubble of warmth and curiosity surrounding him as well now. He did not need this. He was content to watch from afar. His mouth scar burns.

He soon gets pulled into the conversation and he finds with horror that his mouth starts moving on its own. He says a load of crap, obviously, not the truth, but the fact that he willingly talks, that he wants to talk with others makes him uneasy. Exactly like with her, he thinks, watching her laugh with Tanaka and Mizumachi at some inside joke. They seemed to have hit it of extremely well. She also seems interested in Arao and he double checks, taken aback. Surely that soft spoken kid some four years her junior isn’t her type? He shakes his head and by the buzzing in his ears he realizes he has drunk much more than he had realized.

That happened the first time we met, even if she doesn’t remember. He also said more than he had wanted to, to the Uchiha responsible for killing her. All the other strangers he had met had had that effect on him.

Now Tadanobu seems to have started a conversation that showcases everybody’s most humiliating trait. He starts by shouting loudly enough to be heard at the end of the street:

`Umeharaaa!`

‘Wassup, asshole?`, slurs the aforementioned, swaying in place.

`You’re speaking to your captain, Um-me-ha-ra`, replies Tadanobu severely.

`Whassup Asshole capt’n` Umehara corrects himself smartly.

`You don’t need to search anymore. Meet your match. **Hanae.`** Tadanobu says making a grand gesture towards him, and the table dissolves in giggles.

`Let’s raise a glass to our flower boys`, shouts Tadanobu. `It’s good they’re both good looking, otherwise the names wouldn’t have fit`.

`I apologise for our captain, he tends to be overly familiar when he’s drunk`, Takahashi apologises from his right, ducking his head embarrassed. Hanae smiles, making sure his scar twists and his eyes crinkle at the corners. Takahashi sees his expression and seems unsure what to think.

`What did you say, Takahashi, you mob character?`, yells Tadanobu from the other side of the table. `I really wanna drink some beer`, he continues on, apparently forgetting the discussion he has just started.

`Would you like some _unagi makizushi_ , Hanae san? They’re very good,` Arao asks him politely. The younger girls make noises of agreement and beg him to taste some. He eats and concentrates on the sweet salty flavor of the fish to distract him from his thoughts. It’s a recipe she favoures, damn it.

Away from the table, Mizumachi, Tanaka, Yoshida and she have started a skit everybody apparently knows already. The others start cheering and clapping. She is happy, full of energy, open. She had told them her real name without hesitation. He feels like wringing Arao’s neck.

Soon he also gets invited to participate in their silly games and he acquiesces, trying to silence the clamouring voices in his head that scream at him to get away. Maybe this time he will belong, he thinks. He snaps back to reality, viciously crushes that thought and puts on his friendly mask.

`Please teach me well`, he intones politely, and so the game begins.

****

**_Asahi Shinbun, 24 august 2016 frontline_** :

Kodo group disappears during training camp!!!

During their annual training camp in Aomori prefecture, two members from the taiko club affiliated to Waseda University, as well as another student, have disappeared without a trace. Investigation by the police has returned with no leads. They have left all their possessions behind. They were expected to arrive at the morning practice but never showed up. The club captain, Tadanobu Masao, has denied any knowledge of their whereabouts. Kuroda Sumire (4th year student at the department of physics), said they slept in the same room and she never heard them leave. Statements from all the other members confirmed nobody saw them.

A picture taken four hours before their disappearance shows all of them together.

Further investigation has narrowed the window of their disappearance between 4 and 4: 45 am.

The missing persons are as follow (Circled in red, from left to right):

Ishikawa Sayuri (17), second year at Waseda High School

Arao Taiki (20), second year robotics student at Waseda University

Mizumachi Kuneo (20), second year at the Waseda Institude for Sport Sciences and V1 league volleyball player.

If you have seen these persons or have any other information regarding them, please contact

0XXXXXXXXXX.

**_****_ **

**_Kansai International Airport, 24 august 16:01_ **

She blinks and looks at her watch. Time to call Kanade and make sure they meet quickly.

She rummages through her bag and when she fishes the phone out, she sees the battery is dead.

`Huh, really? Wasn’t it full just a few minutes ago? Man, don’t tell me I need a new phone _now._ Give me a break Apple, I just bought it. At least wait for 2 years until you make me change it. Let’s see, charger and battery, here!` .

`Excuse me, miss`, a nondescript voice says from behind, `you are blocking the entrance to the man’s toilet. May I?`.

She whirls around, embarrassed and stammers apologies moving her luggage away. The Japanese man in his forties, in a plain face and suit nods at her and passes.

She blinks and checks again. There is no men’s toilet anywhere since she was standing close to an intersection.

‘Next time, ‘ she vows, `next time someone tries to pull that crap with me I’ll give them a piece of my mind.`

Her phone buzzes, signalling it has charged enough to open and she stops to check it. The display looks normal, except for the wallpaper. She frowns. It shows her and an unknown group of people, all dressed in traditional Japanese clothes, some of them holding hand drums and other traditional instruments. All are smiling excitedly. She can barely be surprised by it when the image disappears and her screen goes to the default wallpaper.

`I’m telling you, I hallucinated I took a picture with a _wagakki_ band`, she says later to her friend while slurping a matcha milk shake. `I really need to do something about it. Like participate at a summer festival or something. I must have missed it too much.`

`Were there any cute boys?`, Kanade asks amused.

‘The one next to me was quite nice,` she laughed. `Too bad my drawing skills aren’t that good, I might have drawn him.`

`Changing the topic to the really important one`, Kanade starts all business-like, `the trip to Wakayama had to be cancelled, so we need to look around for something else.`

Her phone buzzes and Kanade checks it she pales.

`What is it?`, asks she concerned. `Bad news?`

`You could say so`, Kanade replies slowly. `I just found out one of my underclassmen went missing. It was announced on our Line group chat. Look, it’s in the news as well.`

When Kanade shows her the link, she sputters and chokes.

`This, agh, _cough,_ these are, **these** the people I just hallucinated`.

`What? Maybe you saw the headline and the picture and just…It’s impossible!’ Kanade exclaims.

`I know them, the guy in the middle, Arao, is the one who was next to me. And the picture was different. Can you contact them?`

`They are in shock`, Kanade says gently, `and I don’t think they want to see a stranger right now. You don’t have any proof to show them. They would think you are mocking them or trying to get some cheap thrill.`

‘But I don’t`, she replies agitated. ‘Maybe we can recover the photo somehow. And maybe they remember something.`

`I’ll contact my senpai and try to see if he can give us an introduction. But don’t get any hopes’, Kanade adds, `it will take at least five days to meet them, _if_ they agree.`

`That’s all right`, she replies. `I’ll wait. `

*****

**_Deception Island, february 2016_ **

Matthew was walking towards the black sand beach before sunrise to see if he could take some shots of seals. Arriving there, he found the beach deserted. He went on walking anyway, adjusting his camera so he could take a sunrise shot and was just deciding on the best angle when he saw a small mound in the distance. Thinking it might be a seal, he went closer. Partly buried in the black sand, with warm water bubbling gently around him is what he first assumed to be a corpse. He took out his radio and called for help.

The man, Asian, had clothes so ripped it was impossible to see what he had been wearing. He had no ID. His age looked to be around thirty. He had numerous cuts, burns and fractures. The doctors from the scientific expedition seemed reserved about his chances of survival. The biggest mystery was how he got there. Nobody had seen him before. Two days later and he was still unconscious.

Wild theories started circulating in the team. One proposed he might be a sailor from an illegal whaling ship. Since efforts were made to preserve the whales’ habitat clean, and outlawed hunting 20 years ago, the population had increased, enough to tempt whalers again. One such ship was announced to have passed a week ago in these parts.

In the end, they must wait for him to wake up and recover enough to be transported to a hospital. If he lives through the next days and weeks. When they check his pupils for brain damage, they briefly shine red, worrying doctors about a haemorrhage, but it seems to have been a trick of light. The eyes are black. They don’t have enough equipment to properly take care of him, but do what they can and wait.

After a week, when Matthew tentatively inquires about the patients’ condition, the doctors tell him he is healing surprisingly well and in a couple of days he might wake up. After that, the doctor changes the discussion on their actual research topic, and for the next three weeks the patient slips from Matthew’s mind. He has forgotten so completely he is surprised when the doctor tells him the patient has woken up three days ago but they can’t communicate since he doesn’t speak English, Spanish, Russian or French. They had tried at least ten languages on him without success.

`He doesn’t seem to know any foreign language`, his friend concludes.

`I’ll try and see if my rusty Japanese is of any help`, he says. ‘If he’s Chinese or Thai, or anything else, we’re screwed`.

They arrive and Matthew watches him. The man seems tired and weak. His features are instantly forgettable. He seems to have been older than he had thought, about forty.

`Hello’, he says slowly, in Japanese, cringing at hearing himself speak in a horrid English accent. `I am Matthew. Who are you?`.

The man watches him silently for a few moments and then enunciates the return greeting carefully, his voice hoarse from disuse. He coughs and Matthew quickly gives him a glass of water. The man accepts, looks at it for more than a minute and then drinks.

Afterwards he inclines his head. `I…am….Satou Hiroshi…I think`, he starts hesitantly. `I…where am I?`

‘I see you on, uh, ground, Satou san. You not sleep. You not wake, You…’ Matthew gestures emphatically at his body trying to signal open wounds. The man watches him confused.

`Here Deception Airando…Do you… umm, know… remember?`, Matthew asks him, giving up his pantomime.

The man repeats Deception Island uncomprehendingly. He shakes his head slowly and the movement seems to have dizzied him. He falls back on the bed.

`I…do not remember.`

‘Nothing?`, Matthew asks worriedly now. `You have no ID so we can not..errrr..see who you are`, he finishes lamely.

`Aii Deee?` Satou asks again.

`Satou san`, Matthew asks desperately, `What do you know?`

Satou san looks at him confused and scared and replies…`Only name`.

*****

Madara feels exhausted. His chakra feels sluggish. The air is strange, cold and with a different feel he cannot name. The people around him speak foreign languages. He spends as much chakra as he dares to nudge their thoughts on their expedition and away from him. The chakra flow is alien to him. Most people here don’t seem to be aware of it. Only Matthew seems more in tune. He unconsciously gathers it around himself sometimes. He observed it is when he’s cold, once when he almost slipped and fell. He seems to be oblivious to it.

When they interrogate him, he pleads amnesia and plays dumb. Matthew, the only one who can communicate with him tells him he is most probaably Japanese. Apparently he is from an archipelago called Japan, or Nihon.

Three months later, when he is able to leave the cold island for a bigger hospital, he arrives in Japan and is immediately taken in by the authorities. They poke him with needles for `tests’. Apparently he is on the path to recovery, has way too many scars, which is suspicious but no tattoos which is apparently a good sign. His DNA testing show he is 100% Japanese. Since Madara only speaks Japanese, they are forced to conclude he might be one of them. Throughout everything, Madara sticks to his amnesia story. Detecting a potential trauma victim, he is assigned a medic to help him get through. He manages to manipulate him and convinces him to get some more practical tests to see what he might have aptitude for. He keeps his henge on at all times even if it’s hard. He subtly nudges people’s thoughts, implants suggestions, and makes himself insignificant and no threat. He settles on woodcarving as the profession of Satou Hiroshi.

Happy to see him able to integrate now, they make him an ID, take his fingerprints and he convinces them he’s ready to be left alone. It helps that last news have announced the disappearance of three students from a training camp. The news will be released to the public later, he hears. He manages to slip away (with their permission of course, he wouldn’t want to be hunted down by police), and is on his way to Kyoto, his new home where he will work alongside another famous woodcarver master who is in desperate need of someone skilled enough to take over the business. He is at the airport, sharingan activated by habit, eyes flicking around, memorising faces, when he sees another person who gathers chakra around which explodes in a blinding flash. Madara’s eyes hurt but around him everybody seems unconcerned. It is 16:01 he remarks. He makes brief contact and starts tailing her. She seems to see something weird on her phone, and after, when she meets her friend, he finds out more than he thought possible. When she talks about the group that had dissapeared, her chakra, and the nature one around her swirl and swell. Just like Matthew, she does not know it. It seems he must make the woodcarver wait. He has some information to get. The group, and this girl might be the answer to his current predicament.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hana = flower  
> Ume= plum flower  
> These are real family names in Japan (Hanae, Umehara).  
> Takahashi is the third most common family name in Japan. Thus, Tadanobu calling him jokingly, mob character.


	4. Twisting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> K18, the ninja world is on the brink of the first shinobi war.  
> In Konohagakure, The Uchiha Police Force Archives’ Head tries to manage his post and stumbles upon some worrying information.

Uchiha Saito looks over the miscellaneous documents ranging from civilian complaints to serial killings or aborted missions, and tries to find a way to organise them. Some reports are detailed while being concise, while others, written by people who must have read too much of a certain kind of early court poetry, are ridiculously poetic, hermetic and abbreviated. It looks like someone wanted to write a novel in codified shorthand, he thinks grumpily. Must be Tensai-kun trying to show off again. Only he could know all these obscure characters.

A look at the next report makes him groan. The little brat had reverted to _Dazhuan_ early script style, but with his usual flair, he wrote it in cursive because _why not,_ making the whole report look like a monstrous seal experiment gone wrong. _I swear, if I find him going back to **Jianguwen** bone script I’m going to get him adopted into the Senju, clan politics be damned_, Saito thinks irritated. The boy needs something else to do if managing a new post and all the errands he’s doing still bore him.

`Excuse me`, he hears from the other side of the door. An Uchiha boy of fifteen, his subordinate and the source of his present headache enters with a new sheaf of documents. He salutes again and reports: `Here are the suggestions for improvement on the archives, the investigation methodology and public education on police matters, sir.`

`Suggestions? From whom?`.

`First of all, Uchiha police officers and affiliated clans, as well as non-combatants like merchants and artisans. After we go through them, another survey will be done with the other shinobi clans, and after the last review we will implement the new measures next cycle.`

`And who suggested the suggestions?`, asks Saito patiently.

For the first time, the boy shifts. `It was...suggested sir.`

`By _whom?_ Asks Saito again, more emphatically. `The Hogake?`.

`No sir, the Hokage agreed to it as an efficient solution but I, we, It is thought it came from you, since you are responsible with the Archive and public relations.`, replies the boy.

Saito rubs his forehead and grimaces. It galls him to think Tobirama would try and push for a headband with the village symbol up there for all to see. His eyes snap back to the sheaf of papers from his assistant’s hands. `Put them next to the artisan guild’s complaints and sort through them while I finish. Report to me at the end of the day. And try to find out whose handwriting it is.`

`Yes sir`. The boy salutes, activates his sharingan and starts working. Saito goes back to his mess of papers. In the end, his only worthwhile conclusion is that the merchant guild has some bad apples thrown in. He calls for his assistant:

`Tensai-kun!`.

The boy raises his head, sharingan still active and spinning, and looks at him questioningly.

`Come here. Do you see any pattern in these papers?`.

The boy scans them rapidly, and then puts the papers back down. ` It seems the Matsuoka Head is going to be replaced soon by his nephew.`

`Yes, the incidents seem to point to him as the culprit. Quite smart of him to do it that way, too bad Matsuoka filed a detailed complaint for all instances, even before the making of the Police Force.`

`Should we eliminate Matsuoka Toshiyuki then?` the boy asks. `He has been making some suspicious deals with other shinobi villages. He even gave Iwa a better price for silk cloth, twice.`

Saito shakes his head. `We must operate more visibly for this one. We only have circumstantial evidence anyway. No, just make sure the Matsuoka Head doesn’t die during or after his next business trip.`

`He might have already left, sir,` his assistant replies. `I saw their caravan departing at the hour of the tiger.`

`It’s too late then. Let’s hope his guards are enough. Who was with him?` Asks Saito again, testing his abilities.

` I saw an Inuzuka. Should I go after them?`, the boy replies without missing a beat.

‘No, your job right now is handwriting identification.`

`About that`, the boy says, `It seems everybody used someone else’s handwriting. I identified the Hokage’s, various Senju members, and some I suspect is children’s writing from the academy. I need to take samples to make sure. I recognised those that appeared on mission reports and from previously seen calligraphy scrolls from the Senju houses. There aren’t any Senju included in this survey, so it seems everybody tried to deflect attention. Since Uchiha did it…it will be quite difficult to assess who wrote what. The actual contents make it easier to spot the author. Until now I identified Uchiha Masaru, Uchiha Kaoru, Uchiha Masayuki, and another two. They used their children’s handwriting. I saw their samples while visiting with my sisters.`

`What about the suggestions from the unidentified Senju handwriting?`.

`They seem quite spot-on sir. They deal with proper investigation procedures, objectivity, report templates, officer training and the need for non-combatant basic understanding of how the police force operates. Also, trust. It suggests we should make the non-combatants trust us above others.`

`An insult from Senju, a disguised handwriting or a code?` Saito muses. ` Tensai-kun, your job is to find out.`

‘Yes sir.`

His assistant leaves and Saito goes back to his own documents dealing with civilian petty crimes, sharingan spinning, making a database in his head as well. _We should make all officers know our archives by heart,_ he thinks. Less chance of tampering that way. Satisfied he finished them all, he turns to the older cases, the ones that haven’t been addressed yet. He starts looking and after a while he gets a niggling feeling something isn’t right. The reports are incomplete, so he has to search for witnesses from Uchiha and maybe other clans. The Uchiha generally remember, but they aren’t necessarily objective so his investigation could be derailed.

He separates the incidents that seem slightly strange, and although he cannot find a pattern, some instinct makes him pause. The first one is the unresolved murder of a clansman, Uchiha Kaoru, 14 years old, killed while on patrol in a safe zone around the village fifteen years ago. The numerous knife cuts suggested a violent altercation. When he was found he had apparently managed to activate his sharingan. Satou feels his heart contract painfully. His older sister has never been the same after her only surviving child had died as well. All leads turned to dead ends. The tensions with the Senju had escalated again during that period, and then their Clan Head left, making it impossible to keep searching. The second one is Uchiha Mai, 20 years old, killed by poisoning twelve years ago. His blood boils when he recalls the state she was in. It was not a poison to kill, but torture. It was speculated her mission had been compromised, but after his new findings he starts having his doubts. He puts her report next to Kaoru’s and searches for Uchiha Ishii, 18 years old at the time of death. He disappeared eleven years ago en route to Wave while on an escort mission. His body had never been found, but the Hyuuga who was with him at that time left the operation to the other two guards to search for him, and found a spot on a nearby plateau where he said it was clear a body had been dissolved. He had been unsure of the technique used to do such a thing, and he could offer no concrete identification of the body. Nothing was found from Ishii’s belongings either. Samples from the place had been lifted by the Hyuuga, but they had no techniques to identify the body either. The chemicals and such would have interfered with identification anyway, Saito thought. And so Ishii’s parents had received a small pouch of dirt and unidentified matter.

This would have been just another death, if not for the apparently unrelated incident that had taken place in what was then the outskirts of Konoha fifteen years ago, two weeks before Kaoru had died. It happened during Minazuki, just before the first summer festival. All of them had been involved in the fight with four Senju shinobi. Apparently one of them had insulted Kaoru, Mai had retaliated and things had escalated. Both parties escaped with minor injuries. Unfortunately, the collateral damage was slightly more concerning. Two buildings had been destroyed, five civilians had been severely injured and one had died; another death was that of an unidentified traveller’s, possibly a vagabond. He remembers both Clan Heads apologising and making reparations. Shortly after that, their Clan Head, Uchiha Madara-dono went rogue.

Matsuoka the silk merchant had his first serious problems with his nephew during the same period. After thinking for a bit, Saito decides to go to the Senju and ask for their archives. If the other four Senju involved had mysteriously died or disappeared during missions as well, his hunch might be correct. He might even find some new lead.

In another pile he puts civilian disappearances. Five years ago, a popular taiko group under the patronage of the daimyo from Iwa disappeared en route to Konoha. They were supposed to put on a performance during the harvest festival. Six months later, four young women were found with their throats slit in an inn in Ishigaki. At the same inn, a boy and an old man were found strangled to death two months after the first incident.

The taiko group departed from Beppu, Saito muses. Ishigaki is also quite close. We should send somebody to investigate more over there. And talk some more with Matsuoka, he was reported to like _onsen_ resorts and he might have stayed there as well.

The pieces still don’t fit. He puts the files away and leaves, frustrated.

* * *

At the _izakaya_ , he moans about it to his drinking companions. Hyuuga Arashi tries his best to tune him out. Nara Masaru starts theorising on the mathematical chances of random occurrences being actually connected and Suzuki Tatsuya had started balancing the skewers from the _yakitori_ and hums sporadically in affected interest. When an emphatic gesture from Masaru almost knock his tower down, he stops altogether and remarks that consulting the Senju’s archive would solve his problem.

`But that’s the problem` Saito complains. `They will definitely refuse to let me check them. It’s so stupid to have different archives instead of centralizing information`, he adds gulping his sake. `Can you help me, Masaru, Arashi? You are on better terms. Even Tattsun would have more success I think.`

`Don’t be so sure about that`, Arashi replies.

`Let’s go together then’, Saito says enthusiastically.

`They’ll think we want to pick a fight`, Masaru says, trying to temper Saito down.

`No matter, at least we will be able to get into the archives one way or another`, Saito declares. His friends sigh exasperated but in the end all of them go towards the Senju archives. Of course the Senju guards refuse to let them enter after Saito explains his reasons for wanting to consult their archives. And so, they fall back on Plan B, aka forcing their way in. What he finds out when he gets his hands on the files after bullying the archivist makes him freeze. The Senju snatches the reports from his hands and practically throws them out. When Saito asks for copies by habit, he almost gets a _mokuton_ to the face. He has to go back to the Police Archive and write them down from memory. It takes him until morning and then a new day of work starts.

He only manages to get home after two frustrating days of lack of sleep. He automatically takes off his _zori_ and seats himself at the table. His daughters jump in his lap asking for a game.

His son, obviously just out of the bath, his hair still damp, greets him. He has black circles under his eyes and Saito frowns.

`Tensai-kun, I know I told you to get on with your investigation, but do go to sleep. You’ll scare your sisters if they see you at night.`

`They have no business to be out of bed at night`, Yuzuru replies pointedly, stopping by to take his youngest sister in his arms. She coos at him and giggles.

`Yuzu-tan, you look like a panda bear. But you aren’t cute.`

Yuzuru rolls his eyes and puts her down. He looks at his father and replies. `You don’t look that fresh either, _dad_. Do you need help?`.

Saito shakes his head. `No, I still need to investigate some matters before fitting the pieces.`

‘I still don’t think there’s a correlation between those cases’, Yuzuru says taking his chopsticks and murmuring a quick thanks for the food.

`Actually, I found something interesting`, Saito starts when his wife comes in bringing the main course. She looks disapprovingly at them and calls for the girls to leave them to eat. They leave, racing to their bedroom. She stops by Saito and narrows her eyes. Saito gulps.

`Yesterday, you haven’t announced you would not be coming home`, she says sweetly. `You were finally supposed to be back after all those months of burying yourself in paperwork`. On hearing her tone, Saito hunches his shoulders guiltily. Yuzuru coughs, makes an excuse and flees the room as well, taking his rice bowl with him.

`Dear…`, Saito starts, stealing a glance to her face. She smiles like a shark.

`Since you left your wife mostly alone for the past half a year, are you ready to make amends?` she says activating her sharingan. ` You have quite a debt piled up.`

Saito slowly starts moving his hand up his wife’s thighs and grins. `I will do my best to make amends`, he says.

**12 weeks later**

Uchiha Saito looks at his insufferable assistant who is standing in front of him radiating smugness, no doubt patting himself for deciphering the origin of the messages. The problem was, he saw nothing wrong with it. Sometimes that kid needed to take his head out of the clouds. He sighs and tries not to think how he puts his son in danger, making him look for and make contact with an alleged rogue shinobi.

`You will continue investigating the matter of the disappearances.` He raises his hand and Yuzuru snaps his mouth shut, purses his lips then defaults to the blank attention expression all professionals wore at briefings.

Saito continues. `You will go to Ishigaki and ask around about the Minazuki incident. This is where the last of the taiko group disappeared from and the majority of incidents have taken place. The people from the suburbs directly affected by the Minazuki Incident moved there with their relatives as well.`

`Will I go by myself, sir?` asks Yuzuru.

`No, you need to take someone else with you, to help. Hyuuga Asao has been briefed already and is waiting for you at the gate.`

` _Hyuuga_ **Asao**?` his son asks incredulously, his voice momentarily high pitched by surprise. `Why would I need a Hyuuga? Why not someone from an affiliated clan? Even an Inuzuka would be better. How am I supposed to look for and contact our Clan Head with a _Hyuuga_ breathing down my neck? He doesn’t even have to be in the same vicinity to observe me!`

Saito rubs his eyes tiredly. `We need to work with others. And I know him,` he adds, seeing Yuzuru open his mouth to make another complaint, `he was recommended by my friend. You can trust he will do his best with your primary mission at least and will not be overly curious as to your second one`.

`Did the Hokage say something?` Asks Yuzuru, sharply.

`No, and as of yet he doesn’t seem to know anything. We need to keep it that way. Things have gotten more delicate as of late. He might not take it well.`

`Wouldn’t a Hyuuga be detrimental then?`, Asks his son. `Or did the Hogake order it? No, of course he couldn’t have`, he continues watching his superior for any tells, `he just pressured you into it.`

`He waits to see how we tackle the problems that are presented to us` Saito replies delicately, while seething inside. To keep up the appearance of calm, he takes his _kintsugi chawan_ and starts trailing his thumb on a gold vein.

`He wants to see our reactions to different stimuli`, Yuzuru continues undaunted. `Quite ingenious. But we aren’t the only ones playing a long game. He should be careful with the other clans as well. The Hyuuga will probably report to his own Clan Head first. What stance should I take with him?`.

`Oh you know`, replies Saito, `in this I have full confidence you can assert yourself as you wish. Show him the face he needs to see. Just remember, do not be too aggressive. He has another mission too. You’ll part ways after Beppu. You’ll also do road maintenance after Ishigaki, but the first stretch is managed by your uncle, so no worries there.’

`I see. I should hurry then, it seems my first stance is being late.` Yuzuru salutes and leaves. 

On the way to the new gate, Yuzuru tries to piece together the puzzle his father has presented him. The pieces don’t seem to connect, but his father’s instinct shouldn’t be underestimated even if Yuzuru himself is not as convinced there’s a common thread. He has seen enough random occurrences and enough of the absurdity of real life to... _no_ , he thinks, his father is not so naive although he must not completely eliminate that possibility either. Saito Uchiha wants to get to the bottom of the murder case of a relative. He might make some bad calls since he’s directly involved. For Yuzuru, at least right now, the connections seem tenuous at best, with some having no common denominator. But he also must not dismiss everything. _Keep on open mind_ , he thinks to himself.

Arriving at the gate, he sees the condescending look the Hyuuga offers him and when the other greets him with a `Tensai-kun`, his hackles raise immediately.

En route, Yuzuru tries to calm his thoughts and focus on deciphering the puzzle of how to find and meet Uchiha-dono without interference, but the Hyuuga makes it impossible to concentrate. He keeps making subtle jabs disguised as polite conversation, jabs that crawl under his skin. Any other time he would have taken him on with enthusiasm, but right now he has other things to worry about. His father would laugh to hear how his priorities have changed. But he is excited. The famous Clan Head he had never met will surely- `Ara, Yuzu-tan, look!`. The Hyuuga’s annoying voice interrupts his thoughts for the hundredth time. 

`What!` he snaps, his feelings bleeding into his voice more than he would have liked.

The Hyuuga grins and points to a red poppy. `It is the colour of your eyes. Pretty, no?`, the other says while watching him intently.

Yuzuru sees red. `Oooh, it is a bit different`, the Hyuuga continues activating his own eyes. `But I like it`, he says breathily and Yuzuru has to remind himself he cannot attack a teammate. Even if he tries to get under his skin. He cannot afford to get into mind games now. A good pummelling would do him good, Yuzuru thinks. Unfortunately, Asao is not a small fry. He did single-handedly destroy a group of five dangerous (lately called A-rank by Tobirama, who insists on standardization) shinobi who tried to attack his escort. He is calculating the odds on who would most likely win in a serious fight between them, when the Hyuuga shatters his concentration. Again.

He briefly tries for a different tactic, hoping to put the Hyuuga on the defensive, and asks about their clan seal.

`A protection seal? Why would I have a seal to protect my eyes? Do you have one?`, Asao asks raising an eyebrow.

`No`, Yuzuru replies.

`Neither do I`, the Hyuuga says. `I have no idea what they teach you in the Uchiha clan, but the seal is for shinobi who go on high risk missions and have less than a fifty percent chance of survival.`

`I heard some push for a firmer policy regarding that`, Yuzuru says neutrally, waiting for the other’s reaction. Asao scoffs.

`That will never go down.` His mouth stretches into a nasty smile and Yuzuru curses himself, knowing what would happen next.

`And speaking of eyes, Yuzu-tan~`, the Hyuuga starts, and things go downhill from there.

In the end, in the relatively short time before they arrive to Ishigaki, Yuzuru manages to develop an automatic sharingan activation every time the Hyuuga comes closer than a two metre radius from him. His thoughts are scattered and he bitterly thinks that even if he sees through his adversary’s plots, if he falls for them anyway it only serves to make his defeat more humiliating.

`Lead the way, Uchiha san`, the Hyuuga says when they arrive, polite for once. Yuzuru will never accept the nickname Yuzu-tan again, not even from his little sisters. It feels dirty after having heard it from the Hyuuga’s lips. His mission will be more difficult than he had anticipated.

His fears are confirmed when a farmer boy sees them, screams and attacks Asao. He must be another of the Hyuuga’s victims, Yuzuru realises and feels an instant camaraderie with the guy.

`Go away, you pervert!`, the boy shouts indignantly. Asao toys with him, effortlessly evading the boy’s attacks. Not half bad, Yuzuru observes, he would gladly help the boy if it came down to it. Before he can do anything, Asao immobilizes the other boy and flirtily asks him if he’s free that night. The boy blushes and curses at him and the Hyuuga coos and tells him he shouldn’t be so shy. An older girl appears running from a tailor shop. She bellows like an enraged bull, takes off one geta and flings it towards the Hyuuga full force. To Yuzuru’s surprise the Hyuuga lets go and evades the projectile. The reason becomes apparent the next second, when the geta explodes into the ground.

`If you make a move on my little brother again, I’ll aim the next one to your head, you piece of crap!` the girl yells.

` You aimed the other one to my head as well, Nee-san!` the Hyuuga replies merrily. `You have to work on your aim. I’ll get my older brother to buy you a new pair`, he continues and the girl throws the second _geta_. To Yuzuru’ disappointment, it misses him by a hairs ‘breath and hits a tree. The resulting boom is bigger than the first. The girl pants, obviously having exerted too much chakra too quickly. The boy leaves while throwing dark glances towards Asao.

Strangely, the passers-by do not seem the least surprised by this turn of events.

`Do you come here often?` Yuzuru finally asks Asao.

`Of course`, Asao replies, `Why do you think we went together?` `Your blush makes you even cuter, Kou-chan` he shouts to the retreating boy, `you must like me a lot!`.

` I hate you asshole! Go die in a ditch!` the other shouts back, blushing and forcefully slams close the door to the tailor’s shop.

`You do know that a blush does not have to mean somebody likes you`, Yuzuru can’t help saying. `They can be embarrassed, angry, they can be the type to blush easily no matter the stimuli,`

Asao’s condescending look says it all.

`If you are aware then, why do you insist? Do you enjoy toying with people who cannot put up a real fight?` asks Yuzuru.

`Cannot put up a real fight?` The Hyuuga asks incredulously. `Did you see what his sister did? Three years ago she couldn’t do that. Kou-kun also improves every time I see him, even if he doesn’t train as much as we do. And they work very well together. If their cousin had also the fight you might have been forced to help me` he grins.

`I will be content to cheer from the side if that ever happens`, Yuzuru says. `I wonder why they try so hard to get better at beating people up`, he continues sarcastically. `Are you doing an experiment?` He asks half fearing the answer.

The Hyuuga smiles infuriatingly and shrugs. `Maaa, one can’t give me so much credit.`

`Indeed`, mutters Yuzuru, `For a moment I thought you had two serious thoughts to knock in that brain.`

The girl looks forlornly at the destroyed geta, poking at the holes made in the tree. Asao watches her and then looks away to the sky, whistling.

`Is _that_ your real target?` Yuzuru comments exasperated. `Seriously, you can’t talk to a girl normally and so you piss her off instead? By hitting on her younger _brother?_ Are your social skills that retarded? No, don’t answer that`, he continues, seeing Asao watch him annoyed for once.

`It’s not me`, Asao admits. `It’s my older brother`.

‘So let me get this straight`, Yuzuru starts. `You antagonise the family, harass their youngest member, and all that in order for the older sister to somehow fall in love with your older brother? You do realise they hate your guts. They will probably refuse any entanglement with your brother **_because_** of you. `

`You wouldn’t say that if you saw both of us in action`, Asao says smiling. `My brother is quite smooth. He did learn from Hatake-sensei, you know. And both Saki-san and Kou-kun get free training and she gets free geta and the occasional apology dinner so all’s well.`

`I wish your brother all the luck` Yuzuru murmurs.

`Had a change of heart?` Asao asks interested

`Luck with you`, Yuzuru replies. `Things will never progress from there. If that’s what you wish…`

Asao sighs, serious for the first time. `My brother holds no illusions on this courtship. He simply tries to know her while he still can. Look,` Asao points, changing the topic. `Here’s the inn. We should start, we are already late.`

`And whose fault is that?` retorts Yuzuru. `Never mind, let’s see what we can find. The people from the Minazuki incident work here as well so we can ask them all at once.`

***

Yuzuru’s shoulders sag in disappointment. `That was spectacularly unhelpful`, he says geturing disgustedly towards the inn.

`What, did you expect them to remember everything, the position of the corpse, the time of death, who they had met the previous days and what they ate for dinner?`, Asao asks mockingly. `This is not a detective story where you find the clues neatly arranged and a convenient witness who remembers exactly what you need to know`.

`I know that’, Yuzuru says irritably. `I just hoped they could be more informative. `

`Not everybody has an eidetic memory`, Asao continues. `Take care you don’t get too hung up on twisted statements. Older cases are always hard to resolve.`

Yuzuru raises one eyebrow at the Hyuuga. `Did you do this before? You seem quite knowledgeable.`

Asao grins again. `I am a man of many mysteries`, he declares.

Yuzuru snorts and they start for Beppu. On the way, to prevent the Hyuuga from making any more antics he asks. `How long has _that_ been going on?`.

`Oh, _that_ , five years I guess`, Asao replies carelessly. `Interested in love stories, Yuzu-tan?`

Yuzuru’s eye twitches but he ignores the jab. `And how long have you been harassing him?`.

`Oh, five years I guess`, Asao replies innocently.

`So it has nothing to do with Hatake-sensei’s lessons, then! I’m amazed they haven’t killed you already`, Yuzuru says shaking his head.

`Oh, they tried, I give them that`, Asao says gleefully.

`Why did you go for him now, since your brother wasn’t there anyway?`.

`Well, I have to be consistent`, Asao explains seriously. `And my brother will arrive with a new pair of geta and swoop down to put them on her feet. Sensei taught him that, actually’

`Did he try this before?`, Yuzuru asks curiously, dreading the answer.

`Yes`, Asao replies snorting.

„How did it go?”.

`She took her left geta off and bonked him on the head so hard he lost consciousness. He hadn’t expected her to hit that hard. Saki-san can subconsciously mask the chakra input so he thought it was safe. Anyway, I almost killed her then`, he continues conversationally, `but she seemed just as shocked. She helped him, and nursed him. My brother got to lay his head in her lap, got fussed over and horribly played up his injury. Later he told me he could take a juuken for another chance at a _hizamakura_. After that, Hatake-sensei’s word became law to him.` at the last words, Asao’s face clouded.

`Maybe he didn’t play it up then`, Yuzuru smirks.

‘Maybe he didn’t’, Asao agrees easily. `He was even more smitten afterwards. She must have scrambled his brains. One day she’ll accept him, I know it. And then, he will finally get his wish.`

Yuzuru hums an agreement and after that they both remain mostly silent until Beppu.

If Yuzuru remembers well, Asao’s older brother died eight months ago during a mission with the infamous Hatake the Academy sensei.’

* * *

**Beppu, evening, three days later**

At the Rising Moon teahouse, the mistress tells them she remembers the taiko group still quite clearly even after all those years. When Yuzuru mentions it she smiles.

`They were very good. And I lost my best worker to them.`

`Who did you lose?`, he asks interested.

`A girl, she knew quite a lot of new recipes. I hired her on recommendation from Matsuoka. One day she left suddenly with the group. I think she might have fallen for one of the artists. Girls`, she sighs. `She even forgot some belongings. She came here once afterwards but I forgot to give them to her.`

`May we see them?` Yuzuru asks.

The mistress leaves and returns with a small chest. Yuzuru opens it to see a message written in beautiful _gyosho_ style. It is a poem on loneliness and waiting for the other to come and remember them. A blob of ink stains the lower left corner.

`Did she write it?` he asks, interested.

`No, her writing is not that pretty`, the mistress replies laughing.

`Do you know where she is now?` the Hyuuga inquires politely.

`Come to think of it,` , the mistress says, `she also disappeared at one point. She usually visited with that bodyguard of hers, but she hasn’t been here in six years. It’s a long time,` she says sadly. `So imagine my surprise when she passed through just two weeks ago. She seemed to be in a hurry.`

`What about the bodyguard? Has he been seen around?`, inquires Asao.

`No, I’ve never seen him in the past six years.`

`Do you know his name?`.

The mistress stops and thinks hard. `She called him something about a flower.`

***

`Did you find anything new?` Hyuuga asks afterwards.

`The pieces have just increased`, Yuzuru replies frowning. `The mistress said she hasn’t seen the bodyguard anymore, but that doesn’t mean anything. If he came here in a henge...`

`You’re right. Moreover, they might be the common denominator you were searching for so desperately`. Asao says negligently.

`Or something that has no import`, Yuuru replies quickly. `We do not know.`

Asao glances at him and hums thoughtfully. Yuzuru keeps his expression neutral.

`Hmmm` Asao says finally. `Well then, I need to go on my way. Good luck, Yuzu-tan, I hope you find who you’re looking for`. And then he leaves.

Yuzuru grimaces. Asao is definitely spying on him. They have started the cat and mouse game and he is at a disadvantage. Fortunately, Asao is unlikely to have deciphered the codified message yet. The black smudge was vaguely in the shape of an Uchiwa, pointing south-east, towards the Yoshino Peak.

‘No use beating yourself over about it`, he thinks. `I made my stance clear. Let’s see how long Asao-san believes in „ _Yuzu-tan”_.

He closes his eyes, quickly flashes through the hand seals and activates the diversion seals one of his clansmen has put in place a week prior. His eyes go red. His main mission has started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dazhuan script: Early Chinese script, used by omnyoji.  
> Jianguwen bone script, oldest form of Chinese writing (Japanese characters are taken from Chinese).  
> Chawan – tea bowl  
> kintsugi – a type of tea bowl who was broken intentionally and repaired with gold  
> hizamakura: lap pillow  
> geta – traditional footwear  
> Traditional days were split into 12 hours, corresponding to the animals of the zodiac. There was an equal number of hours for day and night. The hour of the tiger is between 3-5 am.


	5. Twisting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uchiha Yuzuru tries to complete his mission, Tobirama pushes for change and village unity, and Madara goes into teacher mode.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Organising the Naruto timeline is a headache, so I now go by the rule of cool, which worked for Kishimoto. /shrugs/  
> Organising MY timeline is another headache but I am trying to keep it as consistent as possible.

There’s a series of explosions and the activated seals spew projectiles which hone unerringly towards chakra enhanced persons. From his vantage point, Yuzura notes another five random people posing as passers-by dodging the attacks. He has no time to assess whether they are there as counter-intelligence or on another errand entirely because an additional disturbance field sweeps the village from all angles and Yuzuru barely has time to deactivate his sharingan before it hits him, mentally cursing his clansman choice. Acrid smoke spreads throughout the streets, impending visibility and scent tracking. Too bad it would be less effective on a Hyuuga. Asao can do it with his eyes literally closed, but the disturbance field gave Yuzuru a few precious seconds to get away. He hurries towards the Yoshino peak, his chakra masked. He cannot risk discovery.

`The mistress was under compulsion, wasn’t she? ` Yuzuru hears from his left and only his reflexive parry saves his life. Asao hits him with such force his body is thrown into a tree trunk. Asao’s kick follows closely and Yuzuru barely deflects his foot and delivers a punch through Asao’s midsection. Asao blocks it, moves to the side, grips his hand, twists his arm, grabs his opposite shoulder and completes the motion by throwing him to the ground face first. Yuzuru flings his left arm outwards and activates his armguard seal which explodes outwards, forcing the Hyuuga to back off.

Yuzuru springs up, throws four smoke bombs, retreats out of their range and watches with his sharingan activated. A wind jutsu rips through the smoke and it dissipates. Asao looks at him with his byakugan activated, the eyes red and watering.

`Don’t you like your new eye colour, Asao-san? It looks quite fetching on you`, Yuzuru can’t resist to barb.

Asao looks at him motionless for five heartbeats and then turns his head southwards. Yuzuru attacks and Asao immediately snaps back to him and evades the spear. He shifts to the Hyuuga specific stance and knocks Yuzuru’s weapon out of his hands, breaking the handle.

`Trying to keep me occupied, Uchiha?` he asks, looking at him properly for the first time.

`What gave away she was under genjutsu?` Yuzuru asks to delay him.

Asao doesn’t answer. He doesn’t look at him anymore but Yuzuru isn’t fooled by that. The Hyuuga doesn’t need to face him directly to see him. Asao explodes into motion so suddenly, Yuzuru barely has time to parry and dodge despite his sharingan. Asao’s hands glow with chakra to the tips of his fingers and he keeps trying to close his _tenketsu_ points. Yuzuru keeps up, barely. He manages to catch him in a genjutsu. This only slows the Hyuuga down for a couple of seconds. Asao seems more annoyed than anything. His next attacks are aimed especially to destroy his eyes. So much for rules in engaging a fellow ally, Yuzuru thinks and retaliates with a point black smoke bomb. Unfortunately for him, this time Asao had caught on and the element of surprise is lost. The Hyuuga grabs him despite the irritant and punches through his stomach and the ground with his fist. Yuzuru feels his innards explode, the second layer of his genjutsu is destroyed and he dies.

South of Beppu Yuzuru receives his clone’s memories. So that’s the answer, he thinks. In a straight fight I would lose. It’s good this is not one. He needs to hurry before Asao can track him again. He senses an unfamiliar chakra signatures and veers off, trying to see if they trail him. Yuzuru stops in a large clearing and gets to work. Then he waits for Asao to find him. He comes worryingly quickly. His distraction worked less than half the time he hoped it would buy him.

The Hyuuga stops at the entrance to the clearing.

`Obvious traps and a couple more hidden,` he remarks. His voice is husky and raw from smoke inhalation. He starts coming towards the middle where Yuzuru waits. He doesn’t move.

`You have other things to worry about`, Yuzuru says, eyes red. As he hoped, his encounter with the clone hasn’t left him unscathed. He has a chance.

Asao moves to intercept him when the grounds shakes. Asao jumps and continues unhindered but he is caught in a spherical disturbance field which pulses once. His chakra pathways scrambled, Asao screams, eyes bleeding. Yuzuru times his attack just after the field dissipates, catching Asao unguarded. His short spear slams into Asao’s shoulder, close to his neck. Falling and injured, Asao manages to deliver a foot kick to Yuzuru’s legs, making him fall. Asao twists and rolls on top of him, catching Yuzuru in a chokehold that’s enough to kill him even without chakra enhancement. From their left, five kunai whiz through the air and clip Asao’s face close to his eyes. Two people come to attack from front and back and Asao lets him go to intercept them. Yuzuru takes advantage of this, turns halfway and throws his elbow up, aiming for the solar plexus. The angle is not very good so Asao grunts and raises a bit from him but the punch is not enough to stop him. The assailants are grabbed and thrown down using their own momentum while Yuzuru is kneed hard enough to black out for a second when Asao goes down to finish the throw.

The assailants get up again and one makes a grab for the spear sticking from Asao’s shoulder and Asao is forced to get away. He makes to attack but stumbles.

`Blood loss?`, one of the masked assailants says, apparently and adult male, watching the Hyuuga.

`Wouldn’t count on it`, replies the other. `He could be faking it. Don’t rush in.`

The Hyuuga falls and becomes motionless. Yuzuru raises slowly and dissipates the genjutsu and his own henge. His mouth is bloody and full of dirt which scrapes painfully against his bloody teeth and bleeding gums. He doesn’t spit anything. Blood is very easy to track and identify with some. The third person, the one who kept cover fire comes as well and checks the others for injuries. Judging by the build, it’s an adult female. She turns to him and offers him some water, wincing at seeing his face.

Yuzuru puts some distance between them and keeps them all in his vision field, watching them varily. They look at each other and after some silent communication take off their masks. He recognises two of them, the woman and the older man from Beppu. They give their names as Masanobu, Hiragi and Kisaragi respectively, and the woman shows him an Uchiha wooden seal. He takes it and after confirming it’s geniume, Yuzuru introduces himself as Nagamasa. He accepts the water and slides down, exhausted. His throat hurts from the Hyuuga’s chokehold and his left foot can barely hold his weight.

`Did you kill him?`, the woman asks, head tilting towards the body of the Hyuuga.

Yuzuru shakes his head. `The poison is more a tranquilizer. He should be fine if he receives some first aid. He’ll wake up and arrive in Konoha in about six days. We have almost a month to do whatever job is requested. I have more time since I am also on road maintenance duty.`

the others look at him uncomprehendingly then focus back on Asao.

‘We should make sure the other one can get back home then`, the first man comments.

While they take care of the unconscious Hyuuga, and Yuzuru carefully cleans his mouth before joining in bandaging Asao, the second one, who has presented himself as Masanobu comments to the woman.

`Your aim was pretty good Kisaragi-san.` The young woman blushes.

`As I thought, it was a fluke wasn’t it`, remarks the other. `Where were you aiming actually?`

The woman opens her mouth to say something scathing but glances at him and changes the topic.

`What was that back in Beppu? Civilians almost got killed. I’m sure there are some injured people, not to mention the structural damage.`

Yuzuru looks down and carefully continues bandaging the Hyuuga. The wound is clean and the bleeding has almost stopped courtesy of Masanobu’s chakra healing. `The weapons are an apology; a pay for the distraction caused in the village and the damage. This is why precious iron was wasted. If they sell it they should recover most of the damage.`

The woman doesn’t seem convinced but doesn’t argue further, a fact that Yuzuru appreciates, and pokes the unconscious Hyuuga.

`What’s _his_ deal then? He was tailing us at one point but veered off to find you instead. If he wanted information, he should have intercepted us before coming for you. Even if we have already made contact, we still know our information and we are supposedly the lesser threat.`

`He might have hoped to eliminate the threat of me interfering with you`, Yuzuru replied. ` Or he could rightly assume I put you under genjutsu. Then it won’t matter what you knew, you would have been useless.`

`But you couldn’t have, because we haven’t managed to make contact yet.`

`He couldn’t be completely sure. Although you are right. In this instance it is most probably because of his orders from his Clan Head. He can genuinely say to the Hokage he sought to apprehend me despite multiple hostiles engaging. What he will say to his own Clan Head is another matter.`

`If one were to make a report, his actions seem quite rash. Is this his usual behaviour or would it be suspicious?` asks Hiiragi while slowly walking the perimeter and watching for attackers.

`I am known as a twisted genius`, Yuzuru replies. `They will. And even if they don’t, we managed to make things ambiguous enough nobody can accuse anyone of anything.`

* * *

**6 days later in Konoha**

Tobirama watches the Hyuuga.

Asao, left eye and shoulder bandaged, serenely watches him back.

`I see. Your sudden stupidity is astounding. Maybe it was a mistake agreeing to send you. `

`Everybody can make a mistake. I got rash and I underestimated our resident genius, Tensai-kun. I tried one too many games...`

Tobirama narrows his eyes at the boy’s cheek in insinuating he outreached in his policies.

`You can go and treat your wounds. I see you don’t have any burns so they should all heal nicely`, Tobirama remarks. The Hyuuga salutes and departs silently.

A bit later at the Council meeting, Tobirama watches the Hyuuga and Uchiha Clan Heads carefully but they don’t seem to have a particular understanding with each other. Predictably, the Academy is a sore point for many, as well as the new measures he wants to implement as soon as possible. The standard curriculum is one thing, as they all agree a minimum general knowledge should be known by all combatants. Nevertheless, some do not agree.

`Teaching children clan secrets? How will we have an upper hand?’ asks the Uchiha.

‘From the last report I received from Asao Hyuuga, you seem to be quite alright with stealing my Shadow Clone Jutsu`, Tobirama replies flatly. `I’ll let it slide, but don’t you dare make a fuss about what we teach the others.`

`Regarding that, shouldn’t the Uchiha be regulated in their use of jutsu? If they copy everything they see…` starts the Senju Clan Head.

`Should I look the other way in a fight if one uses an unknown jutsu so that I don’t accidentally copy it?’ one Uchiha asks in an acerbic tone. `I will try that next mission`, he adds mockingly.

`As much as it warms my heart to see all of you so relaxed around each other you say exactly what’s on your mind’, starts Tobirama in a glacial tone, ` I have another announcement to make.` When he tells them about uniforms and hitai-ate, it predictably dissolves into pandemonium, all of them agreeing for once. His clansmen refrain from saying anything.

`They will be a clear target’ the Nara says.

`They will know what to expect, we will lose the element of surprise’ , adds the Uchiha.

`It’s like painting a target on your back`, explodes the Hyuuga. `And to wear those _things_ in away missions and in combat? I refuse!`

`You would recognise your teammates easier in a melee`, points out Tobirama neutrally, although that’s not the real reason.

`I can recognise my allies just fine, _thank you_ `, snaps the Hyuuga.

`Do you?`, asks a Senju. `I received a report that one of yours seemed to suddenly develop selective blindness during a mission and even _accidentally_ tried to stab his teammate during a _melee fight_ with bandits.`

The Hyuuga activates his byakugan. ` **My** report said **your** **incompetent** clansman almost sabotaged the entire mission by-`

`It seems doing this will make things easier for both enemies and allies to pick a target. Why don’t we tie ourselves up with a nice red ribbon while we’re at it then?`, interferes Hatake sardonically.

`You have no business commenting on that, Hatake`, the Uchiha Head replies venomously. `Everybody knows who you are by your ridiculous face masks.`

`Upset I got your daughter even with my face covered?`, Hatake smirks. `I don’t see any of you complaining about your own clan insignia. You seem to wear it anywhere.`

`Unlike _you`_ , the Uchiha continues, `we do not wear our clan symbol on missions.`

`Really`, Tobirama says piercing the furious clan head with his gaze. `I remember your nephew making a point of wearing his clan symbols because he was in the same team as a Senju.`

The Uchiha finally shuts up, glowering. His eyes briefly flicker red and everybody discreetly (or not so discreetly in a few instances), checks for genjutsu.

The Senju still has a bone to pick with the Uchiha. `And an Uchiha entered our archives without receiving permission. Alongside a Nara and a Hyuuga`, he adds pointedly.

`Centralising information would be beneficial for the village`, points the Nara in a reasonable tone.

Yamanaka, one of the newest addition to the village, snorts. `And who has the biggest archive that only they can access?`, he asks looking around with an exaggerated expression of earnestness. ` Why, the **Nara** `, he replies in fake wonder.

Tobirama briefly toys with the idea of killing all of them and then somehow reanimating their corpses to do his bidding. They’ll do what he wants then. Filing that idea for later, he turns to the argument at hand.

`As for your concerns, the other villages will imitate us`, Tobirama replies coolly. `Fire Country, as well as Rice country and Whirlpool have started to destabilise. Their daimyos seem keen to keep the shinobi under as tight a leash as possible. The unrest has shown we cannot afford to keep a low profile anymore. We will demonstrate we are a force reckoned with. It is time we get more independent. The end result of this war will be that the Daimyo will have no more hold on us. We will be his equals. We will not answer to any little thing. Coexistence, if he wants it, is possible. If they don’t agree, the war they’ll have on their hands will be too much to handle. The riots have already started in Iwa and the Fire Capital. We need to take a firm stance. The other kages will get to the same conclusion. Who knows’, he says wolfishly, ‘we might arrive to an agreement and put an end to the daimyo’s rule.’

`And change the status quo? That is a dangerous thought`, remarks Hatake.

`Things are changing`, replies Tobirama. ‘We adapt and change with them`.

`Not to mention, educating children in the same way and making them wear the same symbol will make them in time more loyal to the village itself`, murmurs the Hyuuga.

`Brainwashing’, coughs the Yamanaka.

‘Does that mean you will try and negotiate with the other kages?’, asks the Uchiha, for once not trying to derail the discussion. Tobirama keeps it in mind when he answers in a friendlier tone.

`Yes, we will call for a summit in a neutral territory, the Land of Iron. If we stop this before it escalates, we might gain more advantages than if nothing had happened at all. We will win.`

Two months later, with the assassination of the Iwa daimyo, rice riots in the land of Lightning and the Fire Country and the destruction of the main gate from Suna, the talks fall through and the first shinobi war begins with renewed fury.

Asao, as well as all Hyuuga active combatants, receives the seal to protect their eyes.

***

* * *

**Primary world, 7 august 2018, Japan**

Iris reads the newspaper by habit when the headline catches her attention.

**The three missing students, from the mysterious disappearance case two years ago have been found.**

_Two years ago, all Japan was shocked to hear of a sudden disappearance of three students during a training camp in the Aomori prefecture. In the past five days, the three missing taiko group members have been found. They are slightly malnourished and seem to not remember the past two years. Arao Taiki, now 22, has been found in the mountains in Hokkaido by a group of hikers. He was not equipped four mountain climbing and had they not found him, he would have soon died of hypothermia. He stayed in the hospital four days and was discharged yesterday when the doctors pronounced him recovered. Mizumachi Kuneo (22), has been found wandering on a country road in Miyazaki Prefecture. He was dehydrated but otherwise in good health. He maintains he doesn’t remember what happened but scars on his body suggest a hidden tragedy. Ishikawa Sayuri (19), has been found in Ishigaki, Okinawa. She was bitten by a snake and had to be taken to the hospital. Presently she has recovered as well and has been delivered back to her family_.

She calls Kanade immediately and begs her to ask again for a chance to meet them. After two days, Kanade sends her a message. The other members were still against it, but the three who had been missing had insisted she goes and meets them. She feels nauseous from excitement and some unknown fear. She might finally find out what had really happened.

They meet in Kyoto, at Tadanobu’s family home. He is alone now, the rest of his family away visiting relatives. The minutes tick by and the awkwardness doesn’t lessen. There’s Tadanobu, Tanaka, and the other three. The rest are supposed to arrive later. The three seem to want to start something but always stop and look frustrated. 

She feels even more out of place since she doesn’t know any of them. The others feel uncomfortable around her as well. Arao gives her a shy smile and she returns it but that’s all. Things might have continued like this indefinitely were it not for the older man confidently entering the room. She thinks he might be someone’s relative, but by the confusion en everybody’s face it doesn’t seem the case. He also has his shoes on. 

`I am Sato Hiroshi`, the man announces. `You`, and here he stops and takes them all in, `are my ticket home.`

The three, Ishikawa, Arao and Mizumachi start at this, but the others look even more confused. They are more appalled by the man’s manners in entering with his shoes inside the house than his words.

Sato sighs and she is reminded of her old mathematics teacher when some student didn’t seem to understand a simple problem. `Let me explain. **You,** have a way of manipulating the surrounding energy and somehow use it subconsciously when there’s danger, transporting yourselves to another world briefly, until the danger cannot manifest anymore. It’s a bit like a premonition and a failsafe mechanism. I saw the disturbance with my own eyes when **she** was at the airport. Tell me, do you remember anything?`, he asks, turning towards her.

`N-no`, she stammers, `but I did have a strange unexplained picture on my phone. Unfortunately it disappeared immediately and was impossible to recover. I only saw it because I took so many pictures and so deleting all of them caused a delay, my phone doesn’t work that well…at least that’s what someone told me…` her voice trails off.

Sato-san nods. `You seem not to remember anything, but let’s ask our three latest additions, who were found roaming around. Have you seen her before? Have you taken a picture with her before? Do you have any memory of what happened?`, he asks them.

They wilt and nod.

`Excellent`. Saito san continues. `My theory is that they somehow managed to come back by themselves. I also arrived here. But some of you were there and have no memory and no time there. Why do you think that is?`

When nobody answers, he continues in an icier tone. `Because you probably died over there. We can confirm with them.` Seeing Arao and Ishikawa flinch, he nods, satisfied.

` The nature chakra of this world impossible for me to access. I have no way of getting back home. But you can. And you will`, he adds ominously.

`How would we-` Tadanobu starts asking when Sato moves quicker than Iris thought possible, jumps over the low table, tackles her to the ground and starts strangling her.

The others shout and scramble up, instinctively trying to get away. Tadanobu flings the small table at Sato’s head and he evades, hands still pressing painfully on her windpipe. Her vision is blurry from tears and she feels lightheaded. Her throat hurts and her ears are ringing. Two blurry figures attack simultaneously, Arao and Mizumachi she thinks. Sato briefly lets her go and for a moment air rushes painfully into her lungs. 

They are thrown to the other side of the room. For a moment, everybody freezes, except for her, who tries to crawl away, wheezing. Tadanobu attacks again. Tanaka and Mizumachi both tackle Sato. He stumbles and Ishikawa takes a 4 litre unopened sake bottle, a gift from Tanaka, and swings it like a bat towards Sato’s head. He ducks at the last moment and the bottle crashes into the shoji screen, ripping part of it and breaking in the process.

Iris lunges for her purse and starts rummaging desperately for anything that might help. She hears Tanaka groan in pain and sees Ishikawa fall. The heap struggles next to the shoji screen. Sato crashes Tanaka into it and all fall to the porch in a heap. Tadanobu manages to kick Sato in the head when he tries to get up, but the man doesn’t seem too bothered.

He comes for her again and grabs her shoulders, hands moving towards her throat. Iris lets herself fall, raises her left hand and tasers him. Sato goes rigid and his hold slackens. She bends her knees and kicks his chest as hard as she can, making him sway backwards. She scrambles to get away.

They are now in a stalemate. Looking around, she sees Tadanobu has hit his head when he had fallen on the porch and is bleeding profusely from somewhere above his temple. Tanaka has accidentally stepped on some broken shards of glass from the sake bottle. Arao has rushed to help them, helping Tadanobu get up and giving him a wet compress. He then goes to Tanaka and makes him sit.

Mizumachi and Ishikawa take a slow step towards Sato. Sato remains crouched, slowly moving his head, watching them alertly.

He smiles thinly, takes out a knife and lunges towards Ishikawa. Mizumachi moves to intercept, and Iris rushes in as well. She sees the knife raise, then fall and Sato’s hand comes towards her. She doesn’t have time to react and is thrown in an arch and slams on the tatami floor, banging her head on a paper plate full of snacks. Some crunch under her weight, others fly in all directions.

Mizumachi jumps on Sato’s back, Ishikawa grabs his legs and Arao tackles Sato from the side, trying to immobilise him. Tanaka lets himself fall on Sato’s legs as well. In the confusion, her taser is yanked from her hands, she feels a shock go through her and faints.

When she wakes up it is night and cold. Others are huddled next to her, the press of their bodies keeping away some of the cold. The full moon shines brightly in the night sky, bathing the barren landscape in a silvery glow. She vaguely sees Sato a couple of meters in front of them.

`How long was I out?`, she croaks. Her whole body hurts.

`Just about five minutes`, whispers one of them. `Sato san hasn’t said anything since we came here.`

`Where **are** we?` Tadanobu asks from somewhere behind her.

`Wind country I would presume`, Sato’s voice floats to them.

Ishikawa gives a strangled scream and shoves away from the group. Mizumachi jumps up, grabs her shirt and hugs her to his chest. In his hand is Sato’s fallen knife from the earlier fight. He stabs it into her brainstem and Ishikawa goes limp. Mizumachi turns to the others when vines burst from the ground and envelop all of them. The knife clatters down from Mizumachi’s hand. 

She can’t comprehend what just happened. Ishikawa’s body lays sprawled on the ground, face down.

`What are you doing, Mizumachi-san?` Shouts Tadanobu, eyes wild.

`You heard him`, Mizumachi replies shaking, ` If we die here we go back. You died and went back and I didn’t and had to live seeing my life go by, thinking you were dead! And when I finally got back, I had lost two years and my friends have went on with their life. I won’t do that again and I won’t let others go through that again`, he says defiantly.

`I wouldn’t do that`, Sato’s voice floats closer. `Quite smart of you to try and get the others as well, but as you said, if you don’t die, any damage is real. I will release you, since I didn’t contact you only to bring me here. And if you or any other of you tries that stunt again`, he breaths, suddenly closer than she had thought, `I will take one of you and torture them, but I will never kill them. So you can live your life knowing you have abandoned a friend to a tormented existence.`

The voice seems to come from directly behind her ear, low and invasive. The others probably hear it the same way. The vines retreat and they are able to move again. She and the others collapse as soon as their support disappears.

`Get up`, they hear. ` You don’t want to die of hypothermia or dehydration anytime soon, I assume. Remember, even if you all die, one of you will not. I will make sure of it`, he swears. `We need to find a landmark to get our bearings and after that we will need some shelter and water for the day if we are too far off from any settlements.`

`Why do you want us?`, Tadanobu asks standing with difficulty. He has a trail of congealed blood in his hair and down his neck. His wound still bleeds sluggishly. The bright light of the moon makes the scene garish. Arao goes to help him stand straight and Mizumachi shoulders Tanaka. She feels pain every time she moves so she remains on the ground.

`You will see`, replies Sato. `First of all`, he adds in a disgusted tone ` you lot need to improve your chakra control. You need to be able to manipulate it intentionally, not only forced by a dangerous situation.

`Why would we need that? asks Asao. `And what if it is a thing that can’t be controlled?`

Sato turns towards them and his teeth flash white. His eyes change to red `You’ll learn. I will personally make sure you improve.`

He comes to Iris and tells her, `Your wounds aren’t serious.` She repeats, mesmerised by the spinning red lights `My wounds aren’t serious.`

`You can walk by yourself.` he continues.

`I can walk by myself`, she says and stands. 

She is surprised when she feels only a little stiff. Her legs wobble and she has a bit of difficulty controlling her body, but the absence of pain is bliss. She really mustn’t have been wounded that hard, she thinks relieved.

They start walking westwards, under the watchful eye of the moon.


	6. Snarl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Yuzuru’s side quest goes wrong, Madara has A++ teaching methods and OC’s readjust (?) to Naruto life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Geography seems quite fluid in Naruto. For the weather to be like that, the landmass would need to be much bigger, and there should be some additional topohraphic features present (even if you add those, some of things still don't work though, oh well).  
> RULE OF COOL

**Border with Hot Water Country, north-west of Beppu, K18**

`The mission is as follows`, starts Masanobu after they made sure the Hyuuga was not in danger and Yuzuru doesn’t have any serious wounds. `We are on a mission to the Land of Iron. We have to befriend the son of the daimyo and lobby for a meeting with his father. We will be undercover there, not as shinobi.`

`Do we know what he looks like?` asks Yuzuru.

`No, but we know his route. We’ll rendezvous with others who will keep an eye on him. We’ll probably get a description then as well.`

I see. I will disguise as a girl then`, Yuzuru decides. `No henge`.

Kisaragi looks at him thoughtfully and the end she declares: `I wanna disguise myself as a guy for this mission`.

Masanobu snorts and Hiiragi rolls his eyes and continues walking. Yuzuru remains silent. She continues to insist.

`Why, if he can be a girl why can’t I be a guy? An effeminate guy but a guy nonetheless. C’mon guuyyyyys`, she whines. She actually whines. Yuzuru starts having doubts about their help.

`Your body proportions don’t really allow for it`, he explains to her. She glances at him.

`You mean my chest?`, she replies gesturing. `Lotsa guys have pecs bigger than mine, seriously. AND they can flex them. Not fair!`, she exclaims.

Masanobu stops and turns towards her. `Did you drink or eat anything suspicious **Otsu**?` He asks.`

`Yeah, your way of talking got really weird. Take your mind out of the gutter. What are you, a country bumpkin from Yu, **Otsu**?` Hiiragi says exasperated.

Yuzuru tenses. ` Maybe it’s an imposter, he says, entering their game. `We should interrogate-`.

`Don’t be an idiot’, she snaps. ` If you can’t understand the beauty of language and the _need_ to use all its proprieties for maximum expressivity, then shut up and let me express myself.`

‘That was quite lame`, Yuzuru remarks. `Where is the expressivity?`

The woman glares at him and stomps away. The others start walking again as well and Yuzuru goes to catch her. `Your walking is feminine, your hips too wide and shoulders too narrow. Not to mention your voice. Can you talk in lower register?`

`Yes, thank you for enumerating all the reasons it is impossible for me to have a bit of fun. This didn’t stop many girls from doing it,`

`They got caught, I presume`, Yuzuru comments.

`By a good looking guy who became the love interest`, she shrugs.

You sound as if you had Hatake for History, Yuzuru thinks. ‘Do you want to be caught by a good looking guy?’, Yuzuru asks out loud, interested.

She looks at him weirdly. `No, I simply want to dress in a hakama, go into an _izakaya_ and talk in male language without others commenting on it. You know, to be able to say _umeeee_ instead of _oishii_ , _ore_ instead of _watakushi_ and use shorter forms`, she replies.

`I don’t think you’ll like most of the discussions from the _izakaya’_ , Yuzuru comments.

`Why, do you talk about girls and conquests with your friends?`, she asks.

`We talk about jutsu, sparring, who has beaten who and who has a crush on whom, he replies smiling. `And the occasional poetry competition and code cracking impromptu contests`, he adds.

She starts laughing. `And the fart jokes, I suppose`.

`And the fart jokes`, Yuzuru admits, lips twitching.

`I appreciate you never said anything about whether I have friends or not`, Yuzuru remarks after she stops giggling.

‘That is too cliché. I would never joke about that, it’s not nice`, she replies seriously.

Yuzuru watches her, incredulous. But somehow, her words still resonated with him.

`How old are you?`, he asks suddenly.

`Twenty-eight` she replies automatically.

`And since you introduced yourself Kisaragi Umeko, you were probably born in the second half of the second month.’

Yuzuru shakes his head. `You give information too quickly. `Be more careful during the mission please. Use the code name they gave you. Otsu is much more common.`

`Very well, brat`, she replies, `I will do my best.`

`Do not try to do your best.` Yuzuru replies. `Just do it.`

She looks at him annoyed and amused at the same time.

`You sound familiar to somebody I know`.

Yuzuru’s heart starts beating faster. `Really?`, he asks nonchalantly. `Who could it be? He is at least as good looking as me, I presume.`

Kisaragi smiles. `Now that would be telling’, she teases and starts walking faster, catching up to Hiiragi. They start a conversation and although he eavesdrops on them, he cannot understand a single word they say.

***

`How are we going to do this, again?`, Ayame asks Mizumachi.

`We will wait for Arao to contact us when we get closer. We’ll have to have all earpieces in and on by the day after tomorrow. He is following them with Tanaka and they should be already in position by the time we get there. Do you have your earpiece ready?`.

`Yep. We’re not even going to actually use them for at least four days. Let’s hope we get a decent signal. Last time we almost got killed because of interference`.

`That was a fiasco`, Mizumachi agrees. `We did win something out of it`.

`Do you think our `boss` is going to do something too crazy soon?`, Ayame asks, worried. `He never tells us the whole plan. We might find ourselves fending for our lives again.`

`He doesn’t tell us because he knows we would undermine it` Mizumachi replies. We do wish to escape. Don’t forget the captain of the drum club is with him.`

`I know. We won’t fail this mission. I’m more worried about the next one`, Ayame admits. `Riots can turn ugly. And people affected…`

`If we are to believe him, conditions might improve afterwards`, murmurs Mizumachi.

`Let’s hope so. It’s still hard…`

He takes her shoulders. ` This is always hard. We need to focus on our goals. And by the way` he says lowering his voice further, `the new guy is totally eavesdropping. We should keep our conversations short even if he can’t understand`.

`See, this is why you need to learn more than one foreign language, Water City boy`, she whispers back and Mizumachi lets her shoulders go and groans. She snorts and after that they continue walking silently.

***

`Oi, brat`, Kisaragi-san says later.

`Please call me by my name, Kisaragi-san`, Yuzuru replies politely.

`I don’t know it. Telling us you were named after a legendary weapon of mass destruction? You sound like a _chuunibyou_ `, she says nonchalantly. `Nah, brat suits you better`.

Yuzuru is impressed she knows the legend. It is only in the older version of the chronicles. Nevertheless, he must respond. `Not being able to take criticism well is not a true mark of an adult either`, he points out.

`How many adults you know are reasonable?`, she asks.

Yuzuru opens his mouth and stops. _Huh._

She grins. `See, brat`, she says. `It’s a question of age, not maturity level`.

‘Would you prefer I turn into an older man?’ Yuzuru can’t resist asking.

She gives him a horrified look and subconsciously takes a step away from him. `No!` she exclaims. `I hope you don’t henge into older guys and hit on women, you’re what, thirteen at most`, she continues severely.

`Now, that would be telling`, Yuzuru smirks. `And I won’t give you my real age, so stop fishing for it. Seeing you jump to that conclusion immediately though`, he adds, `do _you_ like being hit on by younger guys?`

She rolls her eyes and mutters `stupid brat` under her breath.

`About me not being in an older henge, it is a sign of trust you know, showing you the real me`. Yuzuru says trying another fishing angle.

Kisaragi and Hiiragi snort. `You just dropped your henge because the other guy beat you up`, Hiiragi comments and Kisaragi nods. `Don’t try to make us feel special because of your blunder`, she adds.

Yuzuru ducks his head in apology and at the first opportunity traps both of them into a simple genjutsu. They don’t see the next bend in the road and plant their faces in a tree trunk. Seeing their bloody noses and bruised foreheads and feeling sure they’ll probably also have a black eye or two, Yuzuru feels a bit remorseful, but they do have a chakra healer. And the wounds aren’t serious, even if they make such a scene. It could happen in any training.

Masanobu looks at them with a disgusted air.

‘I’m not wasting my chakra on your idiocy`, he announces. `And you’, he adds towards Yuzuru, try something like that again and I’ll-`

`Kill me?`, Yuzuru asks with a long suffering sigh.

`No, I’ll give you a pat on the back`, Masanobu answers with a straight face. `That was hilarious. If you try that on _me_ though`… he says meaningfully. `I won’t bother to warn you`, Masanobu concludes. `I only need to tell _somebody_ who is _very_ attached to our little flower about you and they’ll not even find your corpse`.

Yuzuru nods amiably and they continue.

***

After that little incident, Yuzuru remains close to Masanobu. `They aren’t professionals`, he observes.

`No, Uchiha, they’re not`, Masanobu agrees.

Yuzuru winces. His features do make him stand out. He should have remained in a henge.

`Kisaragi-san espcially seems to crack under pressure`, Yuzuru continues. `Her behaviour was quite erratic after the altercation`.

Masanobu looks at him and remains silent.

`We should make sure it’s not a liability during the mission`, Yuzuru insists. Surely Masanobu must have thought the same? Yuzuru’s not the only one with a brain here, isn’t he? `How are we to make sure she won’t do something stupid and upset our target? Our mission will fail then`.

`Oh, don’t worry`, replies Masanobu unconcerned. `She is actually quite good at that. It’s the action that gets to her`, he adds smirking. `But good ol’ games? She’s down for it`.

`Based on her behaviour, when things get more serious she flinches back. That is quite clear`, Yuzuru repeats.

`Yes, this is why we are working in a **team** `, Masanobu points out. `To complete each other. She is great at making the first impression, and we need to assist and continue after her`.

`We only have about a month, and the way there and back will take most of it`, Yuzuru reminds him.

`It should be enough`, Masanobu replies. `A friend told me she managed to get a shrewd merchant entrust to her some vital documents after less than two weeks. This should be a piece of cake`.

***

Ten days later, in the Land of Hot Water, Yuzuru watches the road from between the leaves of a tree. Their target is on a returning trip from a resort in the neighbouring country. The convoy of samurai retainers stand with their swords drawn towards a kneeling figure in front of the palanquin. He opens his com channel.

`You were saying, Masanobu-san? Oobaa.`

There’s a bit of static and then the answer comes `Don’t move. We’ll wait a bit. Oobaa`.

`What happened?` Yuzuru hears Arao ask.

`She just panicked and did something stupid`, Yuzuru replies frustrated. `Obaa.`

`It’s pronounced over`, they hear Kisaragi say under her breath. `Over`.

`Shut up, Kisaragi`, interferes Tanaka. `How’s the situation oobaa there?` he adds.

`I can see it plain as day, Tanaka-san`, interferes Yuzuru. `She has compromised the mission. Ovaa.`

`What, how?` They hear Tanaka ask in between a lot of noise.

`Stay down, you idiot, I mean senpai. Don’t come here` Hiiragi hisses.

`Everybody, keep your positions. Obaa`, they hear Masanobu add. Yuzuru almost throws his earpiece out at the last word. Masanobu must have taken the radio and put it to his mouth.

In the dirt, Kisaragi winces and shakes her head desperately. Her boy getup gets dangerously close to come undone by the way she moves.

The door of the palanquin opens and the daimyo’s son gets up slowly, sword in hand. Yuzuru curses inwardly and activates his sharingan. So the Iron daimyo’s son is the wielder of Masamune. He looks about twenty five. His gaze rests on the kneeling figure and raises a hand to stop his retainers from protesting further.

`Kisaragi-san`, Yuzuru says warningly, `Don’t. Do. Anything. Stupid. _Over._ `

She raises her head and then immediately ducks it down to the ground and makes a _dogeza_ bow.

`Good`, Masanobu whispers. The daimyo’s son looks at her.

`Do you have any complaint, peasant?` he asks calmly.

She cringes in the dirt and makes to look up again. Both Yuzuru and Hiiragi whisper scream `Don’t get up`. Their instructions get garbled but she aborts her movement, wincing.

Instead she stutters. `It was a rabbit, my lord. Your retinue almost stepped on him`.

`A WHAT?` , Yuzuru yelps and almost jumps from the tree. He immediately calms down and checks if anybody has seen anything. Fortunately, Kisaragi’s spectacle is enough to distract the samurai. He’s also far enough for now.

The daimyo’s son leans towards her. `Raise your head`. Kisaragi hesitates and seems to become smaller. `Do. It`, hisses Yuzuru.

`Stop giving me orders, _brat_ `, Kisaragi growls under her breath`.

`What did you say, peasant?` the daimyo’s son asks pleasantly.

Kisaragi finally looks up. He can’t see her face from his vantage point, but her voice sounds pitiful and trembling. `It was a rabbit, my lord, he almost got trampled.`

The daimyo’s son puts his sword at his waist and says ` Why would you risk being trampled yourself for a little life?`

Kisaragi’s head moves backwards and she raises her chin. She seems surprised by the question but before any one of them can whisper an appropriate response she blurts questioningly `Hashtag lives matter?`

Masanobu face palms and Yuzuru sighs.

`What are haaj taagu animals? Why do they matter more?`, the daimyo’s son asks confused.

Kisaragi backpedals even more. `I-I stutter when I’m in awe. Good looking guys, powerful…`, Yuzuru and the others hear.

 _`Please_ Stop talkin`, they hear Tanaka beg through his com.

The daimyo’s son looks amused. `Is that so, Usagi-chan? You look like a rabbit yourself. It seems the rabbit became a human. Are you a youkai? Will you grant me a wish if I let you leave unharmed?`, he asks.

`Don’t be weirded out, Kisaragi. This is exactly what you do all the time to others.`, they hear Hiiragi’s encouragement.

`Ummm if I can…`, they hear her say. Yuzuru winces. She sounds childish. She clears her throat and tries for a lower voice. `I’ll try.`

The daimyo’s son takes her arm and makes her get up. She fidgets nervously, looking down. He grins. `Well, then`, he says cheerily. My wish is to get me away from them!`.

Kisaragi springs away grabbing his left sleeve in the process and starts running blindly.

`Wakadono!!` , Shout the retainers. Keeping Masamune in its sheath, the Daimyo’s son uses it to throw down those on his way.

`Now’s a good time for a distraction’, Ayame yells in English.

`We can’t do anything now`, yells back Hiiragi.

`Try to not get caught until the trees, Tanaka is waiting for you there`, Arao adds.

Yuzuru hears Kisaragi-san starts yelling something in another language. Hiiragi and Arao answer after a couple of beats, then Arao switches back to the common language.

`Tanaka, be ready to intercept them. Nagamasa-kun, can you make a genjutsu so that they won’t find them?`

`I thought we weren’t to use any jutsu`, Yuzuru replies, jumping from the tree and sprinting towards Tanaka’s hiding place.

`Let’s be flexible, ne?`, Kisaragi says, panting.

`Move right`, Yuzuru instructs. They veer off the road and enter the lush vegetation.

`Is this a good idea?`, Tanaka asks. `It’s full of spiders and snakes and all sorts of vines and stuff. They won’t be able to move fast.`

`Let me take care of that` Yuzuru says. He layers genjutsu on the side of the road and slowly makes his way towards them.

`Should we shadow them or join them?` asks Tanaka.

`Better stay hidden for now`, Masanobu says. `Uchiha and Tanaka will join them later when it’s less suspicious. It looks too rehearsed now.`

`Who’s Uchiha?` They hear Hiiragi.

`It’s me`, Yuzuru replies. `Nice to meet you`, he adds. `Made contact with Tanaka`, he announces. We’ll start shadowing them.

`Good`, replies Masanobu. `The rest of us will make sure the retinue does not make contact with him for a while`.

`You are supposed to say over`, they hear Kisaragi, and then she screams.

`What was that, over?` Arao asks immediately. `Spider`, she replies breathlessly. Her earpiece dies.

***

The daimyo’s son looks at her. `Who are you talking to, Usagi- chan?`.

`Forest spirits`, Ayame answers succinctly. `My name is Kimura.`

`Usagi-chan fits you better`, the daimyo’s son continues. `Where are we going?`

`Away from your retinue as per your wish`, she replies and nearly screams again when she gets a face full of spider web.

`Will you trap me in the forest to roam here for ever?` he asks relaxed.

`Shoot, it died`, she says in English. She makes to check her earpiece but aborts the movement. She turns to him fully. `I will not. Follow me`, she says confidently.

After four hours, they have managed to get deeper into the forest. Watching them, Yuzuru groans in frustration. `How can they manage to get so far from the village? I swear, they didn’t even _need_ the genjutsu. If we didn’t tail them closely, we would have lost them as well`.

From behind, Tanaka nods, panting. His forehead shines with sweat and his clothes are soaked. `We can’t contact the others anymore either, we got too far from them. It’ll get dark soon, we should make them get on track somehow. They might fall and break their necks`.

`Too much to hope for` Yuzuru says through gritted teeth, then sighs irritated and shoos away some persistent mosquitoes. `I’ll send a clone to find the others. Hopefully they aren’t caught up in anything`.

`I am tempted to ask you make myself look like a crazy old hermit and just go to them and tell them the way`, Tanaka mutters.

The com suddenly cracks back to life `Do you think you’re in a RPG or something?` they hear Hiiragi’s voice. `Hey, guys, where are you?` he asks cheerily. Where is Kisaragi-san? Do you have any visual?`

`We do` Yuzuru replies, ‘a very pitiful one at that. They’re lost`.

`Really? Wow. Senpai, you alright?`, Hiiragi asks.

`More or less. Why are _you_ here?`, Tanaka replies. `Did something happen?`

`Well…` Hiiragi starts sheepishly. `Things got a bit hairy at some point, so Arao gave me the main com and told me to get lost`.

Yuzuru and Tanaka snort. `That’s bold`, Yuzuru remarks.

`There were many angry retainers, what can I say`, replied Hiiragi. `And somehow, our situation was compromised`.

`We shouldn’t have used any jutsu`, Yuzuru mutters.

`Yes, it seems to have alerted them somehow. Where _are_ you?`

Yuzuru jumps in a tree and looks from the highest vantage point he can get. The vegetation is lush and tangled, making it impossible to see anything. He can’t even see Kisaragi and the daimyo’s son even if they’re quite close.

`I’ll try moving towards you`, they hear Hiiragi say. The signal dies again.

`Hiiragi? Oi, hello! Do you copy? Over!` Tanaka says loudly.

`Stop it, sound carries a lot here!`, Yuzuru hisses. `if they heard….`.

He climbs the tree again, lower, to see if there was any new development, but the two have disappeared. Yuzuru feels his stomach plummet. A rookie mistake. Looking at the horizon, he sees with horror the sun is almost down. It will be dark in less than an hour, they have lost their target in a mountain forest and their group has been scattered with no means of communication. He has a strange feeling they’ve been played. He hurries down to Tanaka and tells him to stay close, makes two clones and sends them searching.

*******

**Wind Country, May K17, five hours after arrival**

In the morning things get hot. Fortunately, they are close to the ends of the desert so there’s shelter in the shape of a forest. There’s a village nearby and Madara tells them to wait there, takes Arao with him and leaves to get some supplies. He and Arao return with clothes, shoes, food and water.

`Did you buy these?` Tadanobu asks.

Madara gives him a look and tells him to eat, drink and change clothes. He also takes out a medicine bag and tells them to take care of their raw feet.

They obey silently. After they finish changing, Madara asks their names. He turns to the woman first. `I remember you from when you were working in Konoha at the Rising Moon teashop`, he says. `What was your name?`

She startles and drops her shoes. `Kisaragi Umeko`, she answers.

`Not good`, he tells her. `Choose one, preferably Umeko. Having two names here is reserved for nobles or samurai. Better yet, call yourself Otsu. It gets even more under the radar`.

Umeko looks at him and says pointedly ` Understood, **Sato-san**. Madara looks harder at her and she relents. He continues his first lesson. `Never give your real name`, he tells to everybody. `Choose common names and be careful of your accent as well. I will make sure you make the right choice. For now, do your best to follow me. Tomorrow we’ll start your training.`

The others look at him sullenly. He sees Tanaka’s feet and decides he’ll kill two birds with one stone. They’re so tired they might try something stupid soon anyway. He goes to Tanaka and hosts him on his back. Now he has his hostage and ended the dilemma of how they’ll walk faster than a snail.

`Let’s go`, he says.

He had miscalculated. All of them have bleeding feet so they walk painfully. Madara sighs and goes on a leisurely pace.

*******

**K17, June, Hideout at the Border with Hot water Country**

The first rains of Tsuyu will starts soon. The air has already become humid. Inside an old house, people are gathered together at a low table and drink. Papers and scrolls are strewn around the room.

`This timeline thing is so confusing`, Tanaka says suddenly.

`Let’s pool our information and make it clearer. We might get some new ideas on how to stop this` , Tadanobu replies turning towards Ayame. He takes a large gulp of sake and sighs. `I miss beer. So, let’s make a timeline` he continues, writing illegibly on a stained tissue. `You first, Otsu- chan’, he calls to Ayame.

She pulls a face. `Not Otsu, call me Kisaragi please, at least. **He’s** not around anyway.`

`The boss makes the rules, Otsu`, Tanaka replies shrugging. `So, in 2016 you arrived here about two years before us. We met and afterwards we travelled together for one year. We...got back home and the other three got back home in 2018. For us, nothing happened and we returned at the same time we left. The other three moved in normal time and remember everything. Are you writing it down, captain? _Buchō_?`

`Mhm`, Tadanobu says while taking another swig from his cup. Some sake gets on the tissue and smudges the words. Tadanobu wipes the moisture and erases half of them. `Do continue`, Tadanobu says unbothered, turning towards Ayame. She glances at the paper and looks at him blankly for a second.

`In 2018, in July I think I came back here`, she says carefully. `Hanae described what I was wearing when he saw me and looking at the pics, it was 15 July 2018. I return without memories at the same moment. My friends were with me and they never mentioned anything so nothing must have happened from their perspective. If what Sato says is correct, I must have been killed here that time as well`.

`And now, in September 2018 we are all again here courtesy of Sato san who somehow thinks we can manipulate energy to cross worlds, a thing we have developed as a survival instinct.`, finishes Tadanobu with a flourish from his brush.

`What about the timeline here? Do we know how it works? Is it random or it follows the same time flow as back home?`, asks Mizumachi. He and Arao sit next to Hanae. All three of them drink tea.

`Well`, Ayame starts before Hanae can say a word, `Apparently I first meet Hanae just before the rainy season starts and I got killed fairly quickly. You remember how he kept complaining about my abysmal survival skills during our last trip?` She turns to Hanae. `Is that correct, Tsubaki-san? Can you help us make this timeline?`

`Yes`, Hanae answers. He takes out a kunai and starts spinning it slowly. He takes a contemplative expression and when he turns his head towards them, the light catches on his scar making it seem to burn.

`If you’re finished with the theatrics, can you get on with it Tsubaki-chan?`, Ayame asks sweetly. Hanae grins and starts recounting in a Nō theatre narrator voice. The rising and falling of the pitch, as well as the protraction of the syllables makes it almost impossible to follow his actual words.

`I first meet Iris from 2018. She stupidly gets herself killed. Then, 2 weeks later I kill the first Uchiha responsible. Then, I follow the other two and I kill them in during the next two years. At the same time I follow the Senju involved and...`

`Stop, stop, we don’t need _those_ details. Only the ones concerning us`, Ayame interrupts him. 

`Well, considering they killed you, I think it does` Hanae replies coolly.

She groans and lays her head on her arms. `Let’s just move on. Please.`

`Very well. In K8, eight years after the founding of Konoha, if we follow your idiotic starting point instead of the era name and number, I meet you again, ’Otsu-chan’. You were quite different.`

Ayame gives him a black stare from between her arms. `I was younger and I didn’t know you. You attacked and tortured me, tricked Masanobu into leaving me with you and then forced me to travel with you while manipulating me so that I start trusting you again’, she replies. `At least that’s what Masanobu told me happened, and I am inclined to believe him.`

`Did Masanobu also tell you what he did while you two travelled together? Or how I `tricked` him?`, Hanae asks. `Moving on` he continues, `you meet the others in K10 and after about one year you get back home and then come back again, in K17.`

`So it’s been six years, huh` says Mizumachi.

`You look the same, Hanae-san`, remarks Arao. You still look about twenty-five`.

`I’m a decade older than that`, Hanae answers drily.

`From what we saw, it seems we get back at the same place and time if we die here. So, Hanae san, do you know what happened? You seem to be quite knowledgeable.’ Tadanobu says, scrunching the written handkerchief and wiping his mouth with it absently. Arao, Mizumachi and Ayame yelp and Tadanobu looks at them in confusion, then at his hands and looks crestfallen. 

‘Well this is indeed a mystery` replies Hanae smoothly, amused.

`That seems like a lie`, Tadanobu comments narrowing his eyes. `Who killed us? How did we die?`

`That you will have to find out later`, Hanae replies seriously. `Now, we need to focus on these plans and blueprints. Congratulations, you’re helping found a village`.

****

That night, after everybody else went to sleep, Mizumachi tells Tanaka more details. They are sitting on the wooden porch drinking strong sake. They had been hunted. They escaped and suddenly went back. All three of them were traumatised from the experience and have refused to elaborate partly because people would have thought them crazy.

`Getting back was a miracle, but readjusting was hard at the beginning. Sayuri became depressed because Yūjiro does not know her anymore. They got together here`, he explains at Tanaka’s inquiring eyebrow. `She lost the last year of high-school as well and her classmates are now second years at university. Yūjiro as well, he moved on so she found herself adrift`.

Tanaka looks uncomfortable. `It’s still weird to hear you call me senpai when you weren’t originally part of the club.`

Mizumachi laughs. `It’s alright senpai. I became one while being here. You all taught me a lot’, he adds wistfully. ‘You know, I have some great memories from this place. Everybody was in this together, and under _buchō_ and the other senpais, who took care of us, we had a good time here.’

‘I’m sorry I cannot remember`, replies Tanaka after a while.

`Don’t mind it`, murmurs Mizuachi watching the sky. Tanaka lays on his back and closes his eyes. After a while he asks. `And you?`. Mizumachi leans back on the porch and starts throwing and catching a colourful _temari_ ball. It chimes softly with every bounce. `I also lost two years but I managed. I even improved some of my playing techniques while here. Too bad I haven’t had the time to show them in a match`, he sighs. 

`You know, I came to Tadanobu- _buchō’s_ house from a get-together with my volleyball team. I thought I was finally back home. Arao was also so excited to continue his projects. There has been some new tech improvement I heard, but he absorbed it all like a sponge, our whiz-kid. How were you, senpai?`

`We felt guilty we lost you`, Tanaka replies. `We did not know what to think and there were some insinuations…but we had an easier time than you, I think.`

`Living with guilt is not easy. We also lived with guilt since we thought we were the only ones left alive.`

`As a senpai, I will make sure this time I take care of you’, Tanaka declares. `I will make you get home, all of you`.

`Don’t forget to include yourself as well, senpai, ` Mizumachi murmurs eyes closed. `We wouldn’t want to live with guilt’.

***

Inside the house, Ayame enters Hanae’s room.

`I don’t like living with unknowns`, she says. `Can you tell me what happened? I wish to hear it from you as well`.

`Hear it from yourself`, Hanae replies and gives her a scroll. At her inquiring expression he elaborates.

`You wrote this. I gave it to you after we met the second time, to help you cope better`.

`Did it work?`, Ayame asks suspiciously.

Hanae smiles. `That’s for you to read and find out.`

`How can I be sure you haven’t tampered with what is written here?`, Ayame asks again, raising her gaze to him. 

He shrugs. `You can’t. But you should know your own thoughts.`

`I wouldn’t be so sure`, she says. `Haven’t you heard of gaslighting?`

`Gaasu raitingu? What’s that?`

`Making someone doubt their own mind`, she replies absently trying to decipher the messy scrawl. `Why did you make me write?`

Hanae leans back and replies. `One, it’s a good coping mechanism. You’ll see what I mean when you get towards the end. Two, I had already started to suspect you did not remember anything, so I made you write so you have proof in case something like this happen again. I wouldn’t want to have a repeat of our second meeting.`

`I guess I will say ‘me neither`, when I find out.`

Hanae fiddles with the lamp making it brighter. Ayame nods in thanks and starts reading.

_It is the third day with my abductor. We are crossing the mountains towards Wind Country and from there to Water Country, he has told me. I don’t care. Our days begin at sunrise. I get up, he gets me breakfast, one onigiri, and checks my injuries. We walk all day. When I am tired, he stops. I couple of times I tried to ignore him and continued trudging on, hopefully over the ledge to an abyss, but he forced me to stop. I’m more afraid now when he makes a conscious effort to be gentle. I will not develop Stockholm Syndrome I endlessly repeat in my head. I-_

_...get into a routine. He knows a lot about me, my likes and dislikes._

_My muscles are stiff but we have started some self defense training. I hate it. Every evening I get a massage after we stop, and it is like another form of torture. My calves hurt especially bad._

_He refuses to say when we met and how we parted._

_Sometimes he looks so lonely my heart breaks. I understand some of his thoughts. And yet I feel the bitter taste of betrayal._

_Masanobu becomes a memory. I am scared I’ll forget what he looks like._

_Can you manipulate my memories? I ask one time._

_He stops and considers. No, not me, he finally says. There are some herb combinations that can cause disorientation and afterwards you can’t remember certain episodes, but you know you lost them._

_I am glacially polite. He knows it and he seems hurt. I warm my speech and then return to the being cold. He is wounded and I feel vindicated. I wish to hurt him, torture him as he tortured me and worse._

_It is exhausting._

_In the end, I tentatively start trying to forge a genuine connection with him._

_The way he smiles at one point and asks me if I’m over it, makes me want to punch him again. He offers to spar and so I manage to pour my frustration in it. I’m spent and I feel hollow. I cannot hate so much. I will do my best._

_I don’t want to betray Masanobu and his memory._

_Masanobu was alive, the weasel!! Hanae got me to meet him and apparently Masanobu had received quite a big sum of money from Hanae to leave us alone. I’m furious’._

`This is incomplete` she remarks afterwards.

`Yes, you destroyed other scrolls`, replies Hanae. Ayame looks at the scroll in her lap for a long time, closes it and leaves it next to the lamp.

`Good night, Tsubaki. Sleep well`, she whispers and leaves for her room.

After she leaves, Hanae remains motionless, watching the fire in the lantern dwindle until the wick burns down completely and puffs out. The curling smoke shines silver for a moment then the shadows engulf the room.

**Fire Daimyo residence, K17, June, Same night**

The Fire daimyo looks at the unknown figure standing in front of him. The guards haven’t been alerted.

`You have an oldest son and three daughters`, the man says. `I have your son.`

The Fire daimyo’s hand twitches. The man smiles. `No use trying to attack me, or call for your guards. I do not wish for violence.`

`What do you wish for?`, he asks.

`Peace`, the man answers surprising him. `Prosperity`, he adds striding closer.

The Fire daimyo remains with his back straight. `Return my son and you will have peace`, he says.

`Not before you do something for me`, the other replies. `And if you think to nobly sacrifice your son, I will make sure he is seen doing things to destroy your reputation and credibility with the other daimyo.`

`What do you want?`, The fire daimyo repeats again, defeated.

The man smiles. `How would you like to be daimyo of the Land?`

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mizumachi took the name Hiiragi. Mizumachi is formed from the characters for water and city, this is why Kisaragi calls him water city boy in English.  
> Kisaragi is the second month of the year in the traditional calendar. The plum trees start blooming then.  
> Ayame means Iris. The SI translated her name to make it less jarring, but it is still considered her `real` name. SHe uses Kisaragi Umeko out of defiance, despite Madara telling her she should call herself Otsu. SHe only uses it with unknown persons.  
> What is Masamune? Who is the Iron daimyo’s son? Will they ever get out of the forest? Will the Fire Daimyo accept Madara’s proposal? Will Madara receive a teacher’s award? Tune in and find out XD.


	7. Snarl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which everybody has a Plan which does not involve the other.

**Forest in Yu Country, Night , April K18**

It was dark under the canopy. The trees’ dense foliage and tangled branches only let a sliver of night sky visible here and there. The moon was only a thin curved sickle in the sky and stars tiny pinpricks of silver on the black. Only the Amanogawa was starkly visible, a shining silver white river flowing in the sky, but it only tricked the eye in thinking it was brighter. The River Sky’s starlight did not arrive under the canopy. The mountains’ deep valleys would have been difficult to light even during the day.

Under the trees, Ayame watches the surroundings fearfully, walking blindly behind the Iron daimyo’s son, clutching his sleeve in a death grip. She startles and jumps at every animal call or loud rustle. They are on an old animal trail and so the spider webs are not as frequent. Her hand twitches and spasms, twisting the material so hard, the sleeve from the Daimyo’s son haori and kimono underneath have almost fallen, partially exposing his shoulder. The daimyo’s son is completely relaxed.

`You can stop the theatre now`, he remarks offhandedly when they stop for a while after she drops something and gropes for it blindly on the forest floor. `Thank you for unobtrusively freeing my fighting hand`, he continues, letting the sleeve fall completely and tucking some ends into his obi.

Ayame stops immediately and whirls to him. `What?` she hisses.

`We can talk freely now`, he replies.

`Are you sure?`Ayame replies in a low voice, brushing her hands from dirt. `The shinobi was supposedly tailing us. Can you say for certain he can’t hear or see us?`

The daimyo’s son gets close enough to touch her, takes a fallen strand of her hair and gently tucks it behind her ear. He leans close as if to whisper in her ear, his lips close enough to brush her earlobe. Ayame takes a sharp breath and he feels her tense. There’s a soft rustle of leaves as she shifts in a wider stance, her arms starting to rise so he doesn’t waste his chance. His mouth closes on her earpiece and he jerks away. Ayame shouts in surprise, her hand flying to hear ear.

`Give it back!` she says her voice cracking.

He spits the earpiece in his hand and tucks it in his sleeve.

`If you want me to help you, you will get me some of these as well`, he says in a normal voice.

`These cost`. She replies coolly, voice still low. `Do you have the right money?`

`I thought your life and future was a bit more important...` he replies. `Not to mention, you should be more careful with your things.`

`Everybody here keeps telling me the same thing` Ayame exclaims, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

`Maybe because it’s true?`, he remarks calmly. `Or because you are a girl`, he adds after a beat.

`I’m a _woman_.` she replies acidly.

`Are you?`, he replies surprised. `Did you f-`

`Finish that sentence and I’ll find a way to break your sword` she retorts angrily, taking a threatening step towards him.

`Is that an innuendo Usagi-chan?`, he asks, dancing away from her reach.

`A threat`, she replies flatly. She struggles to see him in the darkness even when he’s less than ten paces away. The uneven ground is not good for a blind rush-in attack.

`I’m shivering`, he replies.

`Are you cold?` she asks mockingly. `I’ll warm you up. Just come closer.`

`Showing your true colours at night, Usagi-chan?`, he replies. `You know, it’s the man’s duty to warm up the girl. I won’t have a girl doing it. Too scandalous. Even at your age...`

`Have you ever thought some people might not desire such things?` Ayame asks irritated. Her voice is getting louder. _Bingo_ , he thinks. _I hit a sore point_. `No, because you`, she continues frustrated, voice rising, so he shushes her. She snaps her mouth shut and signals a question. At least that’s what he thinks it is, since he can’t really see her even at six paces away. 

He goes closer, motions again for her to be quiet and hopes she saw. Ayame cranes her neck and looks around but the darkness remains impenetrable. The forest does seem more silent now, after her outburst.

The daimyo’s son takes her arm, travels upwards to her shoulder and neck and cups her head with one hand.

`Are you trying to pull the same crap twice in a row?` Ayame asks softly. He hears her teeth grind in frustration so he pulls his hand, taking some strands with him and letting them fall to obscure half her face. He takes a step back and says in a louder voice.

`You seemed a bit cold, Usagi-chan.`

The forest remains silent, watchful. He scans the trees and turns slowly around searching. Ayame discreetly arranges her earpiece back while pretending to scratch at her ear.

`Can you even see or hear if anything is amiss?` Ayame asks to his back. 

`If you shut up, I will`, replies the daimyo’s son. `We’re clear for now`. He says decisively. He turns to her again: `What did you want to talk about, exactly? Arao contacted me and told me I should expect to meet you on the way.`

`We were supposed to meet in Iron Country`, Ayame replies. `But it’s better like this`. She hesitates. `Can we really talk freely?` She asks again.

`You are with whom, you said?`

`An Uchiha I heard. He hadn’t given us his clan name, but Masanobu managed to weasel it in the conversation before we departed. I need to buy him a drink for that.`

`Uchiha...They are good with genjutsu and all-rounders, if they are skilled enough in using their eyes. I’ll keep an eye out`. He takes out his sword. `Does this Masanobu know about the meeting as well?`, he asks her while watching intently at some point to the left.

Ayame shakes her head, then realises he can’t see her and replies. `No, but he might suspect something. He did warn us about the shinobi’s identity.`

`Are we to assume he won’t tell your `boss` anything?`

`That we can’t count on, you know it very well.` Ayame says and catches her foot in a tree root and almost falls. The daimyo’s son catches the side of her haori to help her balance herself. She thanks him and continues. `But if he isn’t particularly pressured, I don’t think he’ll go out of his way to tell him information.`

Her com crackles to life, giving her the default first message they had agreed upon, an inquiry about safety. She taps the answering message and she hears Mizumachi’s voice. The daimyo’s son comes closer and presses his hear to hers but only hears a muffled sound. He tsks and straightens away. Ayame grins.

`Mizumachi, can you hear me? Do you know where the others are?` she asks.

`Tanaka is still in range.`, Mizumachi replies after a few moments. There’s a bit of static and he continues. `He sent me a Morse code message earlier, telling me the shinobi is convinced something’s wrong. He has deployed two clones.`

`Tell him we should meet, the distraction worked`, the daimyo’s son tells her. Ayame relays the message.

`On it’, Mizumachi replies. `I have a vague idea where you are from the signal, but you’ll need to give me some more instructions.`

`The tree next to us is quite gnarly and has less branches than the tree on my left`, Ayame deadpans. `Don’t you have your infrared googles?`

 _`Oooh._ Totally forgot about _those`,_ she hears Mizumachi. `Do you think I wouldn’t have worn the googles if I had them? They’re in Arao’s backpack.`

` **Arao**?`

`We can’t contact him right now. Last time I checked, two hours ago, he was with Masanobu so he should be alright.` She hears a skid, a crash and a lot of rustle and slapping sounds. 

`You ok over there?` Ayame asks him. She hears Mizumachi groan. ` I think I sprained my ankle pretty badly.`, he replies sounding breathless.

` **What**?` Ayame shouts and the Daimyo’s son whips his head to her. 

`My right wrist feels like it’s on fire. I also got beaten by a bush. I think I’m bleeding in some places.` she hears Mizumachi. Ayame lets her hand fall from her ear and looks blankly at the daimyo’s son.

`What happened?`, he asks coming closer. `Trouble?`

`He fell and most probably can’t get here. **We** have to find _him_ now.`, she replies frustrated.

`Not a great prospect`, the daimyo’s son observes.

`Where are you, Mizumachi?`, she asks again. ` Can we get a general direction?`

There are some rustling sounds, some pained groans and then she hears Mizumachi again.

`South east from you I guess. I am in a higher position, so you probably have to cross a valley as well.`

Ayame relays the message and they slowly start making their way after the daimyo’s son orientates himself. Ayame hopes they’re going in the right direction.

`If it’s safe to talk, I’ll tell you what we know`, Ayame starts in a low voice. `Sato-san plans to make a village, quite far from here if I understood correctly. We couldn’t take other people from our world so now we’re running his errands. As you can see we brought some tech back. Arao is quite vital for him... We know we have to organise some riots. He has disappeared for a while as well and we suspect he might further his agenda but we’re not sure how. And now, he plans to have talks with the Iron daimyo and we are to make a good first impression to you. He heard the daimyo is quite partial with his son and listens to what he has to say.`

`Going for the weaker link, I see`, he muses. `Hmm, so he wants to create a new power structure, seeks to imbalance existing powers by sowing disorder, threatens economic stability, and is probably is also looking for allies, like the Iron Country who is mostly neutral. I wonder who could it be.`

`I have no idea. He is mostly like an older nondescript man of forty, but he is quite powerful I think.`

`What kind of jutsu did you see him use?`, he asks after a beat.

`During training, he used fire, lightning, earth and water jutsu. He tried all sorts of variables for our `mortal peril training`. He does seem a bit particular about fire jutsu, I think.`

`An all-rounder with fire affinity. Anything else that stood out? Did he use them a lot?`

`Jutsu you mean? Hmmm so, so, I think. He also attacked in hand to hand combat. He preferred not to use sharp weapons with us. He only used and trained us with naginata and insisted we also train in archery.`

`Sword?`

`Sometimes, yes. Only him though.`

`That makes sense. It’s easier to learn the spear, and it’s more effective in the hands of a less skilled opponent than a sword. Anything else? What did he do, what did he say when you first came here?`

`We were all scared and shocked, I was literally shocked. I don’t remember the details all that well. Did you know he tasered me?`

`Huh.`

`Anyway, he made us stop with some sort of vines. But they weren’t really there. We couldn’t really move though.`

`Genjutsu`.

`Genjutsu. And....he hypnotised me I think. I walked the rest of the night thinking I was fine but in the morning I felt awful. I had pulled some muscles and I could barely walk. Afterwards I remember walking again. I didn’t feel anything again. `

`Jutsu, genjutsu, henge....Most probably an Uchiha. The all-rounder part makes it quite clear. And the confirmation is I think in the fact that we have an Uchiha around. Maybe this Sato-san is even the Clan Head that went missing about three years ago. I heard he had left the village at some point but his clan kept in touch with him. He really disappeared at some point though.`

`He was in our world then.`, Ayame says, grimacing.

`Keep an eye on the Uchiha. They are good but tend be arrogant and look down on others. Pretend you’re as worthless as they think you are and you will run circles around them.`, the daimyo’s son replies.

`No worries on that side`, she says. `The Uchiha that came with us doesn’t really hold us in high esteem.`

She takes another couple of steps and asks. `How do you know so much about the Uchiha?`

`It pays to be well informed`, he replies.

`Yeah, but how-`

`How did you get the money for everything he made you buy?` the daimyo’s son interrupts her again.

Ayame grimaces. `Don’t remind me. We got to a black market and sold some weapons and pottery, scrolls and such that we brought from here. They got a huge price, so he has enough money to buy his stuff.`

`I’m surprised you found the black market`.

`Sato-san did.`

`Quite resourceful`, he says blandly.

`Quite`, she echoes in the same tone.

They walk silently for a while, Ayame checking from time to time if Mizumachi’s com came back to life. The line remains silent.

`You wish for me to help you get away`, the daimyo’s son says.

`Yes...Have you ever died here?`

`Died?`

`If we die, Ayame replies, `we go back. At least it’s what happened to us apparently. We have no memories of the time here if we get killed, so we can only rely on others’ testimony.`

`That is a frightening thought. Have you ever died on the other side?` he asks.

`No, only here. Sat- Uchiha says it’s a similar concept. If we get in peril, we get here.`

`Sounds vague`, he replies. He stops suddenly and turns around. Ayame finds his sword at her throat.

`How do you want me to kill you? Cut your head? Come from behind so you don’t know it? Do you want to be asleep first?`, he asks calmly.

Ayame watches him uncomprehendingly. She steps back and the daimyo’s son follows, the point of the sword remaining pressed to her neck. She can feel her pulse jumping, the coldness of the blade, the sharp edge, making her feel nauseous from fear. Her legs start shaking and she feels light headed.

`I d-don’t, we can’t`, she says in a thin voice.

`Why not?` he asks. `I’ll make sure you won’t feel pain, not much and not for long at least.`

`There are others`, she says in a rush. `I – we need to be together`.

`So what’s impending you to kill each other then?` he asks.

`There’s always one of us who is not with the group...or when we’re together we are not alone.`, she says. `Please, put the sword down`.

He ignores her and continues. `Do you care so much about the others? You don’t need to meet them again in the other world.`

`I, it’s not fair, I won’t.` She presses her eyelids shut and she can still somehow see the dull shine of the blade. `Please, put the sword down,` she repeats, voice wobbling slightly.

`I think they would have accepted these terms.` he says. ` You are a fool.`

`They won’t!` she replies hotly. ` _Please, putthesworddown_ `, she says almost sobbing.

`I wonder...` he says. `What if **they** leave you alone here? You are the outsider to their group, aren’t you?`

`We will not leave each other behind`, she snaps.`Please help us with information and if possible, make it so we can move more freely. If we can be together for some time with no supervision, we’ll be able to do it`, she continues flatly. Anger seems to have calmed her. She says emphatically. `Sword. Please. Down. `

She holds her breath while he thinks. The sword point draws back and she starts relaxing when she sees it rushing towards her again. She gives a short scream and jerks back. The blade misses her by a hair’s breadth and plunges into something that generates a rush of energy.

`That was a clone`, he remarks calmly. It seems someone had found us. We don’t have much time left.`

`Nice technique`, they hear a voice and a figure jumps down and crashes hard between them. The Daimyo’s son makes a forward thrust and the newcomer sidesteps, twisting to protect his left side. The daimyo’s son is now in front of her while the other is across. The newcomer takes a fighting stance. The daimyo’s son attacks, forcing the other to retreat towards the edge of the clearing. He manages to get the newcomer to his back to a tree, and rushes in. His sword point hones in on the newcomer’s left shoulder and presses. Blood wells up, starting to run in a thin stream down the blade but the other doesn’t flinch. 

`You pass`, the daimyo’s son says. He takes his sword away, reverses it and swings it in an arch, before sheathing it. During his swing, Ayame hears a soft patter like raindrops. The newcomer gets away from the tree and bows in greeting. When he straightens, Ayame sees his face for the first time. It’s blurry, but it seems familiar. She gets closer, sees his eyes despite the darkness and gasps.

 **`You`.** The other looks at her and smiles.

`Me`, he replies affably. ` Arao Hyuuga.`

`Have you met him before?`, the daimyo’s son asks Ayame.

`He attacked…somebody.` she replies, hesitating.

`Your messenger, yes`, Asao replies cheerfully. `He is looking for you and closing in real fast. I also saw an injured person a bit further away from here. Should I bring him here with you?` he asks innocently.

`We will go get him together`, the daimyo’s son replies, and the newcomer nods and starts walking quickly. 

Ayame and the daimyo’s son fall in step behind him. Ayame trips more frequently now but it is not the rough terrain and threat of broken limbs that makes her stomach turn. It is the sinking feeling their discussion has been heard. _How long has he been following us?,_ she wonders. _How much has he heard and how much is a bluff to make us slip and tell?_

She quickens her pace and tries to look at the daimyo’s son but the other’s face is inscrutable. _He must be feeling a bit out of sorts as well,_ Ayame thinks. _He has observed the clone but not the other._

Her fears are confirmed when the veiny eyed person slows so that he walks abreast with them and starts addressing the Daimyo’s son, nodding in her direction.

`I am here to be your body guard until Iron. I won’t interfere with the daimyo’s son decisions. Whatever he does to others.`

The daimyos’ son looks at Asao. ` And yet you have put yourself in a position to defend her would the need arise.`

Ayame looks at Asao, surprised. He shrugs. `I only put my weaker side to her since she is a lesser threat`, he replies. `But it’s good there’s no need for me to dispose of a body.` Ayame realises he does not mention whose body Asao is talking about. She doesn’t know if she should feel comforted or creeped out when Asao starts walking faster. He goes around her, getting on her right side. In passing, he flicks her hair up, almost exposing her earpiece. Ayame snaps his hand away, hoping he hasn’t seen. From the way he walks, Asao seems to have excellent night vision. _Can he only see well or does he see more?_ She needs to ask the daimyo’s son when they’re alone.

`Why do people keep picking on me?`, she asks wearily instead.

`Because you have an innocent face`, replies Asao from the front again. Hearing her irritated sigh he continues. `You are objectively the weakest link, but that doesn’t mean I will underestimate you. I won’t`. It sounds like a threat.

`Next time I’m going with Hanae`, Ayame groans.

`Your lover?` Asao asks. `Not a great idea`.

`Why does everybody, even the kids, feel the need to give me advice?`, Ayame moans.

`Huh, must be your face again` Asao grins, suddenly next to her again. He pats her shoulder. `I wish you luck, Nee-san. Yuzu-tan is a bit of a headache.`

`Yuzu-tan? You mean the Uchiha boy?`

`Ooh, so you _know_ his identity. Good for you`, Asao says. Ayame bites her tongue. She should have just remained silent.

`What should we say happened?` She asks the daimyo’s son a bit later when they have stopped. Asao has gone a bit further away, claiming they are close and offering to bring Mizumachi to them. 

`Just pretend we had a tryst`, he says dismissively.

`I’m dressed as a boy`, she points out.

`You’re not fooling anyone`, he replies wearily.

Ayame’s outraged reply is interrupted by Asao, who returnes carrying Mizumachi on his back. He was indeed injured quite seriously. Asao puts him down gently, takes off his backpack and starts setting bones and bandaging. The daimyo’s son goes to search some straight branches they can use as splinters and returns quickly. Ayame takes her hidden water stash and puts it to Mizumachi’s lips.

`Thank you`, he says after he stopped drinking. `The others will be here soon, I think`, he adds in a whisper. `Be ready`.

*******

Yuzuru cursed Tanaka in his head for the ninety-eighth time in the past hour. The others’ behaviour has changed since it got dark. He startles at sounds, cowers at rustling branches and behaves like a frightened child.

`You can stay here`, Yuzuru sighs. `When my clones find the others, I’ll go for them. You’ll hurt yourself if you walk like this.`

Tanaka tenses and looks panicked. `Don’t leave me,` he begs. `I am really afraid of the dark.`

`Did something happen?`, Yuzuru forces himself to ask.

Tanaka stops and shakes his head frantically as if he’s trying to shake loose his brain. `Unknown phobia`, he mutters. `Nobody knows the real reason`. 

He starts making some strange rhythms with his teeth and fingers. They seem to form a pattern that changes frequently. Almost like a code, he thinks, suspicious for a moment, but his attention is distracted by the terrain. He cannot afford to dwell too much on Tanaka’s odd behaviour. After another hour, it seems the code idea was a fluke. The rhythm changes do not seem to have a purpose, but they do slow them down considerably. Yuzuru forces himself to remain calm and goes slower. He is sorely tempted to simply put Tanaka in a genjutsu, but when it wears off, it might complicate matters even worse. A crippling fear is hard to override and the mental whiplash is not worth it. He needs Tanaka after this night as well. The Clan Head presumably also needs his wits intact.

At that moment, he gets a rush of memories and stills. Tanaka comes from behind and looks at him puzzled, tapping his fingers to his teeth in a mad rush. `Did something happen?` he asks.

Yuzuru looks at him and does not answer. His clone has been dispelled by someone who had attacked from a blind spot. He must have been on the right track then, he thinks. He makes another clone and sends him on the others’ steps. The clone rushes silently through the trees and Yuzuru contents himself to wait. 

Tanaka seems to have calmed down considerably. His hands sporadically tap some short, aimless rhythm, and he has started humming to himself. After another thirty minutes, he feels a new rush of memories. His second clone has found Hiiragi. He is injured, about half an hour away. His clone has also heard a crash somewhere around them; could be a fight. He stands up and Tanaka does the same.

`We have found Hiiragi`, Yuzuru says calmly.

`Really?` Tanaka asks, excited. `Will we meet soon?`

`Our priority should be the daimyo’s son`, Yuzuru replies and Tanaka’s shoulders slump. `But Hiiragi-san is injured`, Yuzuru continues, _and you are useless_ , he adds internally, `so we will meet with him first. You can stay with him while I find the others.`

Tanaka taps his teeth thoughtfully, slowly. `That seems like a good plan`, he says in the end. `But…how do you know the way?`

Yuzuru sighs. `Follow me, and try to move faster.`, he replies. Tanaka nods, cocking his head and listening uneasily to the forest. `They’re just animals’`, Yuzuru says impatiently. `Let’s go.`

`Huh, yes`, Tanaka nods, distracted by a bush with twisting branches.

`It won’t sprout whips and attack you`, Yuzuru says irritably. _Anymore of this and trauma or no, I’ll put him in a genjutsu._

They start walking slightly faster but Tanaka keeps lagging behind, frustrating him. After almost half an hour they have managed to get a little more than half past the total distance. Yuzuru activates his sharingan again to make Tanaka more compliant when he gets another rush of memories. His clone _has_ managed to find them and has been dissipated by the daimyo’s son himself. He had the sword to Kisaragi’s throat and she was begging him to put it down. He was also much more skilled than the reports about him. Yuzuru feels the first tendrils of real panic. He cannot afford to lose anybody. He must get them together soon. He looks back to Tanaka who has managed to arrive next to him. He is sure now that if he leaves him alone and rushes on to Hiiragi, he will somehow lose Tanaka.

`Get on my back`, he orders Tanaka.

`Won’t this make you more vulnerable?`, Tanaka asks in a frightened voice.

`No time`, Yuzuru replies. ` We need to get to Hiiragi-san as quickly as possible.`

`Can’t you make another clone?` Tanaka asks from his back.

`I’m not a chakra reservoir`, Yuzuru snaps, and they are off, Tanaka clinging to his back to dear life, almost choking him. Less than ten minites later, When they arrive at the supposed place Hiiragi was to be, there’s’ nobody to be found.

`Are you sure this is the right place?` Tanaka asks tentatively.

`Yes`, Yuzuru replies curtly. He maps his clones’ movements, narrowing down the place the last two pieces should be. They are quite close from Kisaragi’s last position. In less than five minutes he will either see a body or find some trail.

He starts running towards their direction, sharingan activated, dragging Tanaka after him. They are almost there. 

He stops and motions Tanaka to stay silent. They are almost at the clearing. He sees two black silhouettes, one standing, one sitting down and relaxes slightly. Both seem to be still alive.

A small whisper of cloth from above alerts him and he moves aside, kicking Tanaka away as well. Asao crashes down and then rises from his crouch smiling.

`Why are you here?` Yuzuru asks him, his eyes opened wide to catch any movement.

`Why are **you** here?` retorts Asao coolly. ` **I’m** on my mission.`

`I’m here on my mission as well`, Yuzuru replies icily. He cannot afford to lose sight of Asao, but he sees Tanaka get past them and rush towards the clearing. There are some shouts of greetings and he realises everybody has finally gathered together. He doesn’t feel good about it though.

`Interesting` Asao replies. `What do those people have to do with the disappearances?`

`That’s my job to find out.` Yuzuru replies. `Were you the one who killed my clone?`

`You are suspicious, Yuzu-tan.`, Asao smirks. `I have to protect my client.` He steps back and motions Yuzuru to walk with him to the group. Yuzuru warily falls in step next to him.

`Does your client need protection?` Yuzuru asks. Now that he’s closer, he sees that Asao keeps him on his right side, away from his injured shoulder. There’s a metallic smell of fresh blood around him. He either hurt someone or himself. Sensing him, Asao rolls his shoulder and shies away. So he was hurt. _But who did hurt him_? Yuzuru wonders suspiciously. 

He goes to the oldest man and stiffly introduces himself to the daimyo’s son. The plan had failed. The daimyo’s son seems affable enough, but his hand is close to his sword hilt and he still hasn’t raised back the sleeves from his dominant arm. He turns to Asao who watches them all with his byakugan activated. Yuzuru grits his teeth. The Hyuuga has the best advantage now.

***

Asao watches Usagi-chan hug Tanaka and give him some coded message with her fingers pressing in his palm. He does not understand the message, but is quite sure it’s not romantic despite their forward display of affection. All four of them, Mizumachi, Ayame, Tanaka and Yuzuru have some black things in their ears. They have some sort of electricity signal and seem quite complex. ` _Hearing aids_ `, he thinks. ` _So they could have been in touch, although the evidence does not show it. Did they fail? Does the daimyo’s son know about them?`_. He watches the daimyo’s son but the other’s upbringing is impeccable. His body language does not show anything.

In the end, they leave the forest together, Tanaka and Ayame helping Mizumachi, Asao leading the group. They arrive at the ryoukan the daimyo’s son was supposed to stay at and they are rushed by upset retainers. The daimyo’s son orders his guests to be treated well.

`I’ll see you in the morning`, he adds, and leaves. The others trudge to their lodgings as well, except for Asao who silently follows his client. Morning comes unfortunately quick.

***

Tanaka groans in his futon. Mizumachi groans in pain.

`At least you don’t have to get up`, Tanaka says.

`At least you **can** get up, senpai`, Mizumachi replies. `Please make contact with Taiki and Masanobu-san.`

`My teeth hurt from all the messages I sent`, Tanaka moans. `I feel like I got a drill in my brain.`

`You did brilliantly, senpai`, Mizumachi says. `You stalled him well. It’s good the other found me first. Otherwise I would have had to walk`, he adds.

`You did walk`, Tanaka replies. `We should thank Taiki-kun he made a second channel only for us. That Uchiha almost ruined everything. Good thing the other one came back again.`

`Isn’t his timing suspicious though?` Mizumachi asks in a low voice.

`He claims that was his real mission, to protect the Iron daimyo’s son during his return trip home.`

`Then what was that with the Uchiha?`, Mizumachi asks.

`That...some other mission probably. We should simply be careful and see what info we can get.`, replies Tanaka. `I’m off`, he adds. `Let’s talk about this when we meet with Taiki as well.`

`Tell him I’m gonna kill him for keeping the googles`, Mizumachi mumbles rolling back painfully. He tries to go to sleep again.

Outside, Ayame, the weird eyed shinobi, Asao Hyuuga, and the Uchiha are already with the daimyo’s son. They are accompanied by another older retainer. Nobody wears earpieces today. It seems they’ll have to talk and update each other later. 

He goes out and starts walking aimlessly in the streets, hoping Masanobu or Taiki would see him and make contact. He sees the Iron daimyo’s son with his entourage and retainers mingling with the crowd and following them at a distance. The daimyo’s son has a stray cat in his arms and is cooing at it. Tanaka shakes his head. Ayame looks around, sees him and makes a discreet gesture. Next to her, the Uchiha and the other one both look his way as well, Uchiha pointedly and the other smiling. The white eyed one waves at him cheerfully and turns back to checking the cat with his eyes. 

Tanaka quickly turns and starts walking away fast. Ayame gave him the signal for danger. The newcomer’s eyes seem to be much better than simply night vision. He thinks back on the forest encounter and shudders. He can’t remember almost anything. His fear had eaten away at his memories, leaving a gaping darkness behind. 

He stops at a hair comb vendor, pretending to check the wares. The retainer who had been following him the past few streets comes up to him.

`If you are looking for your friends`, the older man says flatly, `you should come with me. We have them in custody.`

`Really?` Tanaka can’t resist to ask.

The retainer raises an eyebrow. `Indeed. They were treated well. I think they’re having their meal right now. If you would follow me` he says and starts walking, hand resting comfortably on his sword hilt.

Tanaka sighs, rubs his ear and starts following him. He would have liked to have his earpiece on.

***

Ayame follows along with the Iron daimyo’s son and the other two shinobi, doing her best to stay small and insignificant. The white eyed one, who has introduced himself as Asao keeps trying to get her alone in alleys, under the pretence of looking after small kittens or puppies or other abandoned animals the daimyo’s son is adamant they find and rescue. The Uchiha brat does his best to impede the other’s tactics by trying to keep her within arm’s reach at all times, gravitating around her like a small satellite moon. She feels like punching both of them. 

The daimyo’s son pretends to be clueless but always helps one or the other, needling both so that none actually get anything done. And throughout all this they find and treat strays with the aid of Asao’s eyes. They treat strays with fleas, sick strays, old, young, some abused, some wild and dangerous, all of which are passed to the retainers who follow them. If they are displeased with their new roles, they keep it to themselves. Ayame has a suspicion they are used to this. She would be more invested in this venture as well if it wasn’t for the two shinobi. Both Asao and Yuzuru seem to simultaneously make her get in danger then help her just before she gets bitten or scratched, all the while trying to sabotage the other’s attempts. They almost don’t get her in time once or twice. She wishes fervently for this idiocy to end soon. Preferably before she gets rabies from a bite.

`There’s a young kitten over there`, Asao says suddenly, pointing down between two houses. They form something less than an alley. It is dark and full of trash. Ayame looks at him. Asao looks back at her. The Uchiha tries to jostle for position and opens his mouth to say something so Ayame beats him to it.

`I’ll go first`, she says. She starts to manoeuvre in the space. Old broken pottery, bones and the odd scrap of food. _It’s good they don’t throw their chamber pots here_ , she thinks grimacing. 

A bit further behind her, Asao shuffles in as well, his wide shoulders scraping against the walls. `A bit further ahead`, she hears from above. Raising her eyes up, she sees the Uchiha brat’s face peering down at them, sharingan activated. He has given up the pretence of not caring about this. 

Behind her she feels Asao’s body heat. He snorts. `So diligent, Yuzu-tan`, she hears him. `It is indeed a bit further, Nee-san. Or rather, _they_ `. With this cheerful proclamation he gently pushes her to get her going. Ayame sighs and starts advancing again, carefully. It is indeed a _they_. There’s a litter of small kittens, eyes still shut. When they sense her approach, they start mewling weakly. Hearing them, she feels her heart constrict in empathy. She has a fierce desire to protect them, help them. She doesn’t want them to die. A hiccup escapes her and she feels again Asao come closer to her.

`Take them up gently`, he says, `and pass them over`.

When they get out with the squirming kittens, the daimyo’s son takes one look at her expression and asks her if she wants to take a break and eat something. She nods and Asao dumps the kittens in Yuzuru’s arms and cheerfully announces he’ll escort her. When Yuzuru snaps back that it’s his job to stay with his client as a bodyguard, Asao mockingly tells him he has some free time in which he can suck up to the noble. Yuzuru almost starts a fight when the daimyo’s son interferes and agrees. Yuzuru remains there, scowling, hot from embarrassment. 

***

On the way Asao keeps smiling. Ayame glances at him and finally asks. `How do you see?`

Asao turns his head to her and smiles wider.

`How well do you see?` she presses. `You have night vision but today…you seem to be able to see through things as well.` Asao’s smiling expression doesn’t change. It pisses her off.

`About last night`, she starts hesitatingly, watching for his reaction. Asao looks at her innocently. `How much did you see? And hear?` she asks.

`Hm?` Asao replies in a tone dripping with fake innocence.

Ayame narrows her eyes. `You saw him threatening me.`

`Hmm, that.` Asao replies. ` Lover’s spat, Usagi-chan?` he asks brightly.

Ayame watches him. `Stop being coy`, she tells him flatly. `You kept trying to get me alone the whole morning. Get to the point`. She makes a move to poke his left shoulder and he evades quickly before she can touch his wound. ‘I’m Kisaragi’. 

`How forward of you, Nee-san`, Asao grins. He rummages in his right sleeve and shows her his open palm. In it rests a black earpiece. Ayame stills.

`I filched it this morning while you went out to wash your face`, Asao tells her closing his fingers on it. `What do you give me in exchange for having it back?`, he asks.

` I thought you would keep it`, Ayame says neutrally. Asao shakes his head. `No use of this thing, at least now.` He flashes her a winning smile. ` And we do want to be in your good graces. They might come in handy. We wouldn’t be able to replicate it for a while, I suspect. So you would be our only lead to getting them.`

`So you do want them`, Ayame sighs.

`Not right now`, Asao assures her. `Right now… Let’s say you give me a piece of information I don’t know`.

Ayame looks thoughtful. `How about a thing about the Iron daimyo’s son? He is your client.`

`Pray, do tell,` Asao replies.

`He is a _kagemusha.`_ Ayame says.

Asao’s steps falter and then he quickens his stride to get back to her. `Does that mean he has no actual power?`, he asks slowly.

`He has`, Ayame confirms. `But he isn’t the real oldest son`.

`How do you know this?` Asao asks suspiciously.

`That would be another piece of info`, Ayame replies and holds her hand out. `The Uchiha will not know about this`, she adds, seeing Asao hesitate. 

Asao nods, puts her earpiece in her hand and steers her towards the vendor’s stand. Ayame closes her fist and purses her lips. She didn’t tell him Kagemusha is another traveller just like them. Asao doesn’t need to know _that_. She needs to ask Hanae if there are others who can see chakra. If others see the discrepancies just like Hanae … they might be in more trouble.

***

Yuzuru is brooding, his arms full of squirming kittens. Thinking back on last night, the unexpected encounter with Asao seems ominous. Asao most probably saw their earpieces and is definitely going to interrogate Kisaragi about them. His fretting is interrupted by the daimyo’s son, who comes to him with a basket and some blankets for the kittens.

`You can keep them`, the daimyo’s son tells him. Yuzuru freezes with a black kitten in his hand. He looks at it at a loss. The kitten is black with two white circles around his eyes, like a reverse panda. He is suddenly reminded of his sisters who love pandas and feels a wave of homesickness welling into his chest.

`I couldn’t…I’m not qualified.` he stammers, voice cracking.

`Learn then,` the daimyo’s son tells him seriously, gently taking the kitten from his hand and putting it in the basket. `If they are all still alive by the next two months, my father will definitely agree with your Clan Head’s proposition.`

Yuzuru almost drops the two kittens from his arms at that. The Iron daimyo’s son smiles thinly. `Take good care of them`, he continues. `They are weak and fragile`.

`Taking care of animals in not the same as taking good care of humans`, Yuzuru murmurs. `You can be compassionate to animals and not to humans.`

`That is true` the older man agrees. `But you cannot be compassionate to people and not to animals as well.`

Yuzuru sighs and raises his body temperature a bit and encircles the basket briefly so that the kittens are more comfortable. `They are already almost dead`, he whispers.

`Ask for Asao’s help then`, the daimyo’s son replies negligently. `Keep them alive. All of them`, he repeats meaningfully and Yuzuru nods. It seems the man is much closer to Kisaragi and the others than he thought. Looking at the kittens he comes to his second realisation. He had been played, but the parties seem a bit nebulous. He must stay with the group longer and find out on which side he should go. 

***

Asao and Kisaragi come back and give Yuzuru a pickled plum onigiri as well. Asao checks the kittens, strengthening their bodies with a burst of chakra. Yuzuru knows he will spend way too much chakra on them, to give them strength. He will not sleep well the next month, he thinks, scowling.

They return to the inn, where the preparations for the daimyo’s son departure are completed. Asao goes to join the other retainers, and Yuzuru and Ayame bow deeply in farewell. They wait for the procession to leave, then enter the inn. In the room where Hiiragi slept with Tanaka, they find Arao and Masanobu as well.

Masanobu gives them a thin smile. Arao looks quite haggard, Yuzuru sees. Arao’s eyes slide to Kisaragi. Yuzuru notices she goes stiff, expression carefully neutral. He goes on to sit next to Tanaka.

`Thank you for waiting`, Yuzuru and Kisaragi say automatically.

The others bow shallowly in return and Masanobu looks at Yuzuru. `I guess here we part ways, Uchiha-san`, he says. `I told you we will finish things early. It’s been less than two weeks.`

`Indeed`, Yuzuru says humbly and bows deeply to the others. `I apologise for doubting you, Kisaragi-san, Hiiragi-san, Tanaka-san, Arao-san, Masanobu-san. Please receive my sincerest apologies`. The others seem miffed so Yuzuru goes in for the kill. ‘Which is why I beg you to let me accompany you the rest of the time I was originally allotted. I wish to save face with you.` he says, forehead pressed to the ground. He does not miss the short intakes of breath and the rustle of clothes. They are discomfited but they cannot refuse him outright.

`Very well`, Masanobu says in the end. `You may rise your head.`

`Don’t you need to go home and take care of the kittens?`, Kisaragi asks him innocently. Yuzuru looks at them and smiles. `I need to do it on the road. It is my test. I will do everything in my power to make sure all of them arrive safely home. All of them`, he adds looking her in the eye. Kisaragi bites her lip and looks away. 

`We leave at the hour of the sheep`, Masanobu announces. `Uchiha-san, please go and prepare for your journey. The kittens have _many_ needs.`

`Thank you, sir.`, Yuzuru answers, knowing it for the dismissal it is.

***

Later on the road, he tries to get the discussion towards the past morning. Kisaragi-san watches him irritated and finally tells him he can ask directly. Yuzuru flushes.

`What did Hyuuga-san want?`, he asks.

`Asao?` Kisaragi-san replies. `What information are you going to give me in exchange?`

`What kind of information do you wish to know?`, Yuzuru asks.

`Something about our elusive boss.` the woman answers. `I think you know some things about him.`

`He is an Uchiha.`, Yuzuru says.

`I already knew that`, Kisaragi-san replies.

`He is our Clan Head`, Yuzuru continues.

`I know`, she says, surprising him. `Anything else about him personally?`

`I have never met him`, Yuzuru starts, `so everything I say is hearsay.`

`That’s alright`, Kisaragi san answers calmly. `So what do they say?`

`He is someone who put aside decades of warfare and hate and joined forces with those who killed his family in order to have peace.`, Yuzuru says. `He was betrayed in his trust.` He waits to see what she will ask about next. He had put several leads in there.

Kisaragi walks next to him, looking far ahead. Finally she asks. `Were they close?`

`The family?`, Yuzuru asks surprised. `Yes, very. They were _family_.`

Kisaragi san hums and then nods. `Thank you. As to your unasked question, yes, Asao-san asked me about the earpiece. He actually managed to take it from my room. I told him I don’t know who made them nor where they’re from. We just received them and were instructed on its uses. He seemed intrigued but did not press the issue.`

`He will definitely press the issue later at a clan meeting`, Yuzuru says to himself. He adjusts his basket and starts taking the kittens out one by one to give them milk.

  
**Wind Country, May K17, one minute after arrival**

  
Hanae feels the rush foreign chakra energy veritably explode in a north-east direction. The energy is muted, so this means is at least thirty _chō_ away. His heart starts beating faster despite his controlled breaths and chakra flow control he’s doing. He motions to Masanobu to follow him and changes direction. He goes towards the energy not knowing if he should feel relieved or horrified. When he sees them again, in the morning, he shuts his eyes for 20 heartbeats; his breath sounds harsh to his ears. His pulse thrums. Shadows stretch in his mind, viscous shadows, black like blood, drowning him.

He opens his eyes again, and climbs down to intercept them. He will join them and do whatever it takes to get them on his side again. He owes it to them. “They are not dead”, he says firmly. “not all of them are here” whisper his shadows. He ignores their hold on him. His chest feels squeezed between two unyielding walls of rock that get inexorably closer. He alights on Ayame, then looks at the unassuming man that leads them. “Start again”, he thinks, and nods his head in a shallow greeting. Behind him, Masanobu shifts in a ready stance.

* * *

  
  
**K18, Konoha, beginning of April**

Tobirama looks at the scroll in his hands. They have just received new orders from fire daimyo to put more border patrols in five locations.

 _We are spread too thin,_ Tobirama muses, tapping the scroll to the edge of the table, _we cannot continue. This has been happening for the past six months. It’s almost as if they want us run ragged._

The Hyuuga also sent a clone for the report, an injured clone variant while the original is still doing his mission escorting the Iron daimyo’s son. That had come as a surprise. A warrior asking for a shinobi, but the pay was too generous to refuse. Asao’s own clone must have dissipated before getting to Konoha, so his first message has been to his clan head.

The Uchiha are plotting something despite their work at the Police, they are too damn efficient, Tobirama thinks irritated. He might have to extend their attributes so that they get more swamped with cases.

The Nara and Yamazaki are also on worse terms lately and his own clan is divided.

We need to pull together if we are to pull through, he thinks. We are walking on a knife’s edge. If we fall, this village will be destroyed. And speaking of knives, they’ll insert the knife in each ohter’s backs as soon as look at each other. This village needs a common enemy, he muses. Something that can unite even the worst of foes. And I need to find it quickly. We are getting out of time. The only good thing is that the council proposition is going smoothly. The first talks will be in three weeks.

He gets up and starts pacing the room. He needs to presnt a common enemy to the clans in three weeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:  
> Cho = length unit of about 109 metres.  
> kagemusha = body double  
> Amanogawa = The Milky Way in japanese. For them, it's not Hera's breast milk but th Sky River.  
> The character of the Iron daimyo's son is inspired by the shogun Tsunayoshi from the middle of the 17th cenury, who was an advocate of animal protection, especially dogs. He made the laws of compassion, very controversial for that time period. He also did not stop at animals, but tried to protect by law abandoned childern and sick travellers. His ideas were unfortunately too advanced fr his age and were met with a lot of opposition. It does not help harming a dog was punishable by death and that the population of dogs exploded and they had to be fed and housed with the people's taxes. Nevertheless he is a fascinating figure, who had he lived later would have been a champion of human and animal rights.  
> ***  
> Yuzuru knows Ayame as Kisaragi Umeko and Mizumachi as Hiiragi. Asao heard Mizumachi’s real name while following them during the night. He knows Ayame as Usagi chan  
> There are many hints throughout this chapter: Ayame’s reaction to having a sword at her throat, Tanaka’s night phobia, Yuzuru’s musings on genjutsu…and others.


	8. Gordian Knot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please read the notes at the end. Madara is cool and Oda Nobunaga (where I took a lot of inspiration from), is just as crazy. And there are some very interesting parallels.

**Uduki, April, 19, K18**

The road to Shirawawa-go, the main rice producer in Fire Country and one of the villages on the main road to Hot Water Country, meanders between low hills with terraced rice fields that roll gently to the horizon. The land is also called the river country, with numerous waterways crisscrossing between hills, making trade, fishing and transport flourish. The road is lined with their famous Weeping Shidarezakura Cherry, and the many petaled Kikuzakura, who filter the sunlight and give a soft pink glow to the road underneath them. Many more cherry trees are dotting the landscape, with the hills close to Shirakawa-go fully covered in pale pink and yellow and blood red blooms.

Arao and Ayame walk together in front at a leisure pace, admiring the scenery. Masanobu carries Mizumachi a few paces behind the two, with Tanaka trying to distract Mizumachi from the pain. Yuzuru has taken the rear-guard.

`We’ll send a message to our friend in two weeks`, Arao tells Ayame while stopping to pick up a fallen pink blossom.

`How did you make contact with Shinsuke?` Ayame asks him curiously while leaning towards him to put the blossom in her hair. `I hadn’t time to ask before.`

` I did not jump in the middle of the road`, Arao grins at her, flashing his dimples. Ayame groans and swats his shoulder. Arao snorts and starts rummaging in his backpack. He takes out a small package wrapped in pale pink _washi_ paper with green bamboo leaves pattern and gives it to her. Ayame opens it and she finds three green tea _mochi_ covered in a generous coating of _kinako_. Her eyes lit up and she gives him a sunny smile.

`I know you liked the green tea version`, Arao tells her awkwardly, rubbing his neck and smiling.

`And the _kinako_ `, Ayame chirps happily. She carefully rips some paper, breaks a _mochi_ in two and gives him half.

`You can have them all`, says Arao raising his hands in denial, `I bought them for you`.

`I want to share`, Ayame tells him firmly, pushing it into his hands. `Half and half`.

`I’ll take one, then’ Arao says. `You can have the other two`.

` **Half** and **half** from **all** of them`, Ayame tells him glaring.

Arao smiles awkwardly and accepts it. `Almost like a normal _hanami_ `, he sighs.

`We need the cold drinks, bento and sake for it to be perfect`, Ayame muses. `Maybe I can whip up something up later`.

`We’ll have passed the place by then…` Arao says.

Ayame starts on the second _mochi_ , giving Arao the second half. She feels the heat from his hand but their fingers do not touch.

`Let’s make some poems` she says, glancing at him.

_Hatsukoi ya_

_Hohoemu_

_Ano musume_

_Haru no kaze_

Arao says immediatly. Ayame looks surprised, and laughs. She starts humming the _Chiisana koi no uta_ and soon Arao picks it up as well. They start belting it, startling Yuzuru into almost dropping his basket.

***

Yuzuru looks on in annoyance. The soft falling petals and the cheery colours seem to mock his gloom. It makes him think on the impermanence of things. His basket of kittens is unusually heavy. He has to feed them on the way and make sure they’re well. If the weather gets colder he’ll have to warm them up somehow. Maybe put them in his jacket, raise his temperature and hope they have enough air.

Closer to him, Masanobu carries Hiiragi and Tanaka mutters to himself and sometimes taps some rhythms with his fingers. Now he’s beating to the rhythm of Arao and Kisaragi’s song. Yuzuru looks ahead, trying to calculate how much he can do with the time he has left. He can stretch his stay another 2-3 weeks and during this time he has to untwist several problems. The murders. The Clan Head. The problems their Clan Head might subject them to. The group. The unknown devices. The unrest between the clans. He feels a headache starting to build at the base of his skull. A weak mewl makes him groan. _The kittens_. He has to feed them already.

Ayame and Arao look back and come to him, take a kitten each and help him feed them. Of course they don’t do it from the goodness of their hearts. They start questioning him about Konoha, questions at which he replies readily, and questions about the Uchiha, which he answers more reluctantly. The questions about Uchiha general enough to be common knowledge inside Konoha he answers readily.

`So brat, you are quite young to be sent alone on missions`, remarks Kisaragi.

 _`Kawaii ko ni ha tabi o saseyo_. Make the child take a trip`, replies Yuzuru. `It’s normal and expected.`

`Well, if you live long enough it becomes the capital`, she replies. `You get used to everything. I see what your parents are thinking, but does your clan head have your best interest in mind?`

`This road, as well as countless other roads in Fire country were updated and maintained by our Clan Head’s express order, with the three main routes towards the Fire capital, Iron Country and Rice country kept free of bandits on account of the Uchiha Clan. He did it as his personal thanks to the Fire Daimyo for permitting the shinobi to band together and form an official village. A result of better roads, trade was faster and smoother. He planned to extend this to the main roads to Wind and Stone country as well. He also urged Hashirama Senju and the Fire Daimyo to open trade more. This is another reason we are the richest country around. Our roads are the best and the merchants have more leeway. Is this not having the country’s best interest?` replies Yuzuru.

`Hmm, even so, even the monkey falls from trees`, Kisaragi remarks.

`And the kappa is taken by the river`, Arao agrees.

`What he does now seems to be in complete opposition to what you told me`, Kisaragi tells him gently.

`You’re comparing the moon with the turtle` Yuzuru retorts hotly, adjusting his grip on the basket.

` _Abata mo ekubo_ `, mutters Arao. `Even the pockmark is a dimple for you`.

` _Takakorobi ni korobu_ `, mutters Kisaragi more viciously. `A haughty man should tumble down. Although, we shouldn’t be surprised you take his part, a frog’s spawn is another frog`.

Yuzuru feels his blood start to boil and his face becomes thunderous.

`Let’s not pour oil into the fire`, Arao says quickly.

`We are **not** fanning the flames!`, Yuzuru yelps automatically.

The others look at him in confusion. Yuzuru feels his face getting hot under their stares so he concentrates on the panda kitten in his hand. The discussion peters out and a while later, Arao and Kisaragi drift away.

In the evening, Yuzuru fusses with the kittens. The temperature has dropped dramatically. He sleeps alone, in a different place from the others. Arao and Kisaragi took a room together at the first inn they came across, effectively disrupting the order. There was only one other room of three futons, but Masanobu managed to convince the innkeeper to let the four of them in together to take care of Hiiragi. He had to find another place to sleep inside. Were he alone, he would have simply slept outside in a nearby tree or at the door. The kittens have complicated things. His room is cold so he picks them up, puts them in his clothes and carefully raises his temperature to make them warm. He wakes up every two hours to feed them.

In the morning, Yuzuru’s thoughts and body feel sluggish because of his self-made fever. The spring rains have started with a cold relentless drizzle. He keeps the kittens in his pockets, eschews breakfast to find some more supplies for his charges and goes on to meet the others.

They walk on. The others have bought rain coats. Kisaragi even has an umbrella and shares it with Arao. The rain doesn’t stop. The next few days are a blur of cold, rain and feeding of kittens. He vaguely sees Kisaragi and Arao stop at a courier office when they leave the merchant town, three days after their first stop, but his attention is distracted by thin sharp claws that dig through his underclothes and prick his flesh. The kittens are restless. 

He can keep this up another three days at most before damaging his brain. Even now he has started to have difficulties concentrating. His thoughts narrow down to protecting the kittens and keeping them alive. He will not fail. He checks them mechanically and continues putting one foot in front of the other. Mud squelches and sucks at his legs with every step and he feels trapped in an unending loop.

***

After the discussion with the young Uchiha, Ayame and Arao gaze at each other meaningfully. Arao starts tapping a Morse code on his jutte’s hilt and Ayame cocks her head to listen, then nods in agreement. When they get to the town, they immediately ask for a room for two. Tanaka looks like he wants to argue but Mizumachi manages to kick him discreetly before he can put his foot in his mouth. Later, Tanaka joins them. 

`What is all this obvious plotting about?`, he asks, plopping down on Arao’s futon.

`Until now, the only potential weak spot we found would be Madara’s family`, Ayame replies. `From what I understand, his immediate family is dead. `

Tanaka gives her a long stare then whistles. `Wow, you really have a one track mind sometimes. Stop starting your discussions in the middle of your ideas, I can’t follow’. He shakes his head. `And?`

`I’ll put to test our training`, Ayame replies, gesturing mockingly. `I will try and see how much I can control where I’m going. I am motivated enough now. _Boss_ should be proud`.

`What exactly do you plan on doing?`

`It all depends on what details we get from Shinsuke. But at the very least, what about bringing one of his family members here? `, she replies.

`And what would this accomplish, exactly?` Tanaka asks again, shifting more comfortably on Arao’s futon. Arao has taken out some of his robotics’ project and is fiddling with some wiring..

`First of all, it might take him by surprise and he might slip, thus inadvertently allowing _us_ to slip away`, she replies. `We have tried taking him by surprise before and it didn’t work`.

`Except for the state of your room`, Tanaka mutters and Ayame snaps at him irritated.

`Stop bringing that up, I’m serious`. She takes a deep breath and continues, her tone still tinged with irritation. `We need something drastic. I think seeing a dead family member alive again could work. Secondly, he might put less pressure on us if he has a family member to help, so again we might find an opportunity to get away more easily. Thirdly, he might even feel he has some debt to us and allow us to leave, or at least shorten our stay. He is not without a sense of honour`.

`This sounds all good and well’, starts Tanaka, `but there are too many suppositions resting on this`.

`Educated guesses`, replies Ayame. `Shinsuke’s answer should make it clear if this plan would work or not.`

`What about the how?` Tanaka asks , now sitting cross-legged on Arao’s futon, facing her. `How exactly are you going to get him or her exactly?`

Ayame sighs and rubs her forehead. `I am not sure. Our predicament makes no sense to begin with, and I suspect we don’t know half of it. Sato-Uchiha Madara did help us a lot with his training but we still don’t know all that much. He tried to make our intention guide the outcome and this is what I’ll try doing. It’s better than nothing`.

`Are you sure you’re not giving give a metal rod to the oni with your plan?` Tanaka asks.

`I’d prefer to give him a sunstroke`, grimaces Ayame.

`Or make him cry`, says Arao from the side, trying to lighten up the atmosphere. Ayame echoes his grin automatically. Her muscles are tense.

`We’re making prayers at the horse’s ears, the oni is not going to listen`, Tanaka shrugs. `So you’ll send a message in the morning?` He asks.

`Yes, along with the message to Uchiha-dono`, Arao replies. He seems satisfied with whatever he has done and seals the radio in the scroll negligently. Tanaka nods and stands up, yawning.

`Sleep well`, Tanaka tells them, stretching his arms above his head. `From tomorrow, we’ll sleep outdoors. I’ll update _Hiiragi_ on the plan`.

`Thank you senpai, sleep well`, Arao replies softly.

`Good night`, Ayame echoes.

After Tanaka leaves, they prepare their beds silently. Arao briefly leaves to ask for more fuel for their brazier and a bed warmer and returns with his arms full and a gust of cold air. Ayame looks at him. He is cold, as if he had stayed much longer outside.

`We need to be careful with these`, he remarks. `Easy to start a fire`.

`At least we’ll be warm`, Ayame half jokes, voice trembling slightly.

Arao fiddles with the lamp and throws Ayame a look. She’s shivering.

`Do you need my blanket as well?` He asks.

Ayame throws him a _look_. `Shinsuke told me it’s the guy’s role to warm the girl`, she replies blandly.

`So you don’t need the blanket then?` Arao asks innocently. Ayame looks at him consideringly for a few seconds then grins. `I need both`, she laughs. `Let’s put our futons together`.

When they are inside, Arao puts his arms around Ayame and she rests her head on his shoulder, still shivering slightly.

`Aren’t you from a colder climate?` Arao teases.

`Exactly because I’m from a colder climate, our houses are really warm`, she replies. `None of this paper nonsense`, she adds in mock severity.

`This is the best I can do to help`, Arao replies tightening his arms. Ayame stretches her neck back and looks up at him.

`Tell me again how we first met`, she says beseechingly. `That’ll warm my heart`.

`I told you many times`, Arao replies huffing. `It’s not a big deal`.

`I like hearing it`, Ayame replies, shifting and burrowing her head in his shoulder. `Also…since I can’t remember it…I keep hoping it will click one day and I’ll remember it myself. I keep trying to imagine myself from your memories, but it never happens. I am sorry`, she adds finally.

Arao starts rubbing her back. `It is nothing`, he replies softly. `In the end`, he continues mischievously, `you did fall for me again`.

He feels her smile against his shoulder and his heart warms. He shifts in a more comfortable position, Ayame resting relaxed against him and starts.

`I was waiting for my friends after the performance, when I saw a beautiful girl come up to me and smile. I don’t really remember what she asked, because I only saw her smile. Her eyes twinkled like stars, and I thought Orihime came down to the earth again. I hoped I would be Hikoboshi, even if I would be cursed to only see you a single night. She hugged me, hailed me as a friend and my dark thoughts went up like smoke. She took my hand and from that moment I knew I found her. She-`

`Wait, you didn’t say you were on a tour in Beppu. And you didn’t say you were also with Mizumachi and Matsumoto. I was with Hanae, wasn’t I? And you didn’t say it happened like this before`, Ayame interrupts him, frowning. `Tell the real meeting`.

Arao groans. ` **I** am the narrator, aren’t I`, he replies. `This is what’s important, anyway.`

`But it is`, Ayame insists. `To make an immersive story, you have to provide the context. This didn’t happen on a white background. I don’t think you suddenly fell in love with me at that point. Tell the truth`.

`It is the truth, now`, Arao replies.

`Please?` she asks again.

`So spoiled`, Arao murmurs in her hair. `And you try so much to be the dependable older sister type while in public`.

Ayame turns her head so her mouth is close to his ear and breaths. `Well?`

`Oh, very well. I totally checked you out when you came to me, and Hanae looked as if he wanted to kill me. He looked like that the whole evening. I almost pissed myself, and then you took my hand, asked me if I was Japanese, hugged me, which was really embarrassing by the way, and also kinda hot, and I didn’t know what to think, then you took my hand and I was both hopeful we could get some clues and go home and scared to hope. It was very bad for my heart`.

Ayame detangles herself from Arao and sits up to check the lamp and the brazier. `That was the most honest I heard you say it`, she says neutrally. `We should make sure these don’t catch fire during the night. See to the brazier please, and then we’ll blow the lantern off`.

Arao sits up as well and looks to Ayame. She is leaning over the small brazier, shifting the coals. Her face is lightened by their reddish glow. `Are you blushing?` Arao asks coming next to her.

She looks at him and blushes harder.

Back in the futon, this time in full darkness, Ayame turns to him again.

`I hope we meet again when we get home. I will forget again about you, but you have your first memories. Please look for me. I will fall in love with you again. And then`, she adds frustrated, `we can finally do things properly`.

`Such as?` Arao murmurs sleepily.

`Why, ask for your hand in marriage, of course`, Ayame replies satisfied. `You are too shy to do it`. Arao huffs a laugh. `Mhm, you were the one to confess and ask me out both times`, he says. `I’ll leave myself in your care, Iris`. He hears her sharp intake of breath.

Something is nagging at him.

`So Shinsuke came on to you?` he asks finally.

`He was playing a bit of theatre`, Ayame murmurs dismissively. `I’m not sure if it worked with our watcher though’.

`Speaking of watcher`, Arao rises, `I need to start working on the plans. I still haven’t finished that modification Sato-san asked for because I was busy preparing our own. We won’t have too much time on the road so I better do it now`.

`Now? It’s late…and cold`.

`You can have my futon as well’.

`You need rest as well, Taiki. Don’t push yourself so much`.

Arao stiffens then shakes his head. `I can’t really sleep. I got an idea and I have to do it now. I’ll try not to make too much noise`. He starts taking batteries and tools out of scrolls. Ayame raises as well and goes to her luggage and takes out a bag on _konpeito_ candy and starts munching on them.

`I could help` she offers.

Arao shakes his head. `No, go to sleep. You get too tired when you don’t rest. And stop eating candy so late`.

`I feel useless like this`.

`Don’t. Everybody has to know their weaknesses and strengths and play them to support the group. No matter how tired you were, you always cooked something nice, something extra and when we were frustrated or sad you cheered us up`.

Ayame looks at him in mock shock. `Should I feel offended I have a traditional female role?`

`Would you prefer to be the one fighting all the time?`, Arao replies raising an eyebrow.

`No`, she snorts, `I am content with my role. I’m not a fighter.`

`Don’t feel so bad about your skills. Even Uchiha-san was amazed at the speed with which you managed to make things look disorganised. You looked for a paper and suddenly there were clothes, food packets, weapons, spilled ink, bowls and other miscellaneous things strewn everywhere`

Ayame laughs. `It’s my superpower`. She glances at the batteries in Arao’s hands. She goes closer to him and gives him a back hug. Arao feels the sharp edge of a dagger pressing to his jugular and stills.

`Where is Arao?`, Ayame asks calmly from behind.

Arao remains relaxed. `In front of you`, he replies evenly, imitating her tone.

He feels her grip shift and tense and then Ayame starts pressing the point until blood wells and starts dripping in a thin stream along Arao’s collarbone.

`Not a fighter, you say?` the imposter remarks mildly. `No hesitation even if the face you see is your loved one. Quite impressive.`

He snaps his head back, grabs her arm and shoulder and throws her over his head, then pins her down in a submissive hold and continues calmly. `At your level, you should either incapacitate or kill immediately. You cannot afford to threaten`.

`Thank you for the lesson, Hanae-san`, Ayame replies coolly. `Where is Arao?`

`Arao asked for a favour.` Hanae replies. `I’ll remain Arao while we pass through Yu. It would have been dangerous with this group, anyway`.

`And Arao is going to be fine on his own?` she asks in cold fury.

`You don’t know everything about Arao`. Hanae replies. He looks almost gleeful. `You’re not the only one who made contacts while training for the Uchiha`.

Ayame remains silent. `Do you feel betrayed?` Hanae asks her.

Ayame looks up at him and doesn’t answer. Hanae feels a shiver of fear crawl to his throat and doesn’t swallow in a sudden fear it will go down and become a writhing mass of snakes in his belly who will then eat him from inside out.

`How did you find out it wasn’t Arao?` Hanae asks idly, outwardly unconcerned, while pressing her dagger to her throat. ` **This** is how you threaten someone correctly by the way. You have no means of getting out of the hold.`

Ayame grits her teeth at his tone. He sounds like a classroom teacher. Her irritation is soon blunted and washed away by the feel of the blade at her throat. The blade is so sharp Ayame feels the threat of split skin, of spilt blood radiate from the edge. 

She looks up to Hanae’s face calmly, but her pulse has already started stuttering and climbing faster and faster. It feels like hard beats, booming in her ears. Blood swishes in her head, and pulses painfully at her throat. She drowns in the sound, lightheaded with fear. Outwardly she can keep her composure a bit more.

`You tell me`, she replies. `You tell me why Arao dislikes being touched and why a couple of times screamed when he saw me or Tanaka`.

Hanae remains still. The hand at her throat doesn’t waver. Ayame presses on.

`Tanaka has night phobia, but mysteriously, it’s only triggered in certain conditions. He is very sure he didn’t have it before the first time here. Mizumachi and Arao have screaming nightmares. And I`, she continues pointedly, `have an irrational fear of having sharp objects, or any objects actually near my throat and right arm. Care to _enlighten_ me, Hanae? You should know some things. Were _you_ responsible for them? I **did** read between the lines in my so called journal. I sifted through the things you wanted me to see and got a pretty nasty picture’.

`I did not change your entries`, Hanae starts when Ayame raises a hand to stop him. `And your response is normal. Nobody likes having things pointed at their vulnerable points.`

`Don’t latch on the most useless thing.` She says coldly. `Arao. Tanaka. Me. Mizumachi. Start with Arao`.

Hanae looks at her, very carefully not closing his eyes. If he does, he knows will see Arao’s bloody face, screaming at him, crying and stumbling in the dark with parts of Ayame’s eviscerated corpse in his arms. He moves his gaze to her face instead. Whole. Not dead. He silently gets off her and Ayame raises as well, rubbing at her throat and trying to calm herself with a breathing exercise. All this time she keeps looking at him but he remains silent. Finally she shrugs and stops Hanae from taking his futon away.

`You can warm me all the same, I wouldn’t want to get a cold`.

Cheek twitching, Hanae acquiesces. The shared body heat makes the hollow coldness in his chest all the more apparent.

In the dark, he looks back on every shared interaction between Ayame and Arao. And back on the day Arao almost died. _Oh, it makes sense now._ _That_ was where he has messed up. Once again, Ayame made him lower his guard unconsciously.

`She should use this asset more`, he thinks. `I have to make her hone it. No matter the price. I owe it to her and all the others`.

`I have a question`, he hears Ayame in the dark. `I thought if we get an imposter it would be Uchiha Madara.`

`Uchiha Madara has other things to do. And I volunteered.`

`Why would he let us plot together, I wonder.`

`He is developing you in controlled conditions. Easy missions that nevertheless test you. You also have a goal, getting home, and he wants to see how you go about fulfilling it. He is letting you grow freely. This is how you make the best assets. Can’t you see something that simple?` He sounds frustrated.

`Seems counterproductive considering the start of our relationship`, replies Ayame after a short silence.

`It is not. You are proof. And even from now on, despite realising his intentions, you will continue just like before because it is the best course of action.`

`Like it happened with me and you before?` He hears a her mutter with frustrated huff of breath and then Ayame stills again.

***

**Yu, Road to Iron Country**

Asao walks next to the palanquin, eyes activated under the pretence of keeping watch for attackers. 

The road is meandering between Fire and Yu territory, making it a stretch of no-man’s land between the two. It’s also an access point to Iron country so it has quite a few castles built from the time of the fracturing of the Big Country, all in strategic position to repel invaders. Tensions did not arrive at this border yet, but when the war starts this will be one of the first places both countries will rush to stake claim to. If Yu allies with Fire country, things will be well. If Iron Country remains neutral it would be perfect. If everybody decides to keep it, things will get bad. Fire Country is surrounded by enemy countries that vie for the lush fertile soil of the Fire country and its timber resources. They will probably be forced to attack first if the talks fall through.

The piercing scream of a hawk rips into the air and Asao sees one of the retainers raise his hand to receive it and take the message to the daimyo’s son palanquin.

He analyses the body double and the retainers but cannot find any gaps in their charade. He sees the daimyo’s son reach for the door so he quickly averts his gaze. The daimyo’s son looks at the back of his head, amused.

`I know you can see me even with your head turned the other way`.

Arao deactivates his byakugan and looks back to him innocently. The body double smiles.

`I have something for you’, he says. `I know you were jealous only the Uchiha got a present`. His voice is rich and warm. Friendly. It makes people gloss over his words and agree with whatever he’s saying. He seethes inwardly at how he responds instinctively to the tone.

The daimyo’s son extends his right arm towards him and Asao blinks. It looks like he’s balancing a brown stick. Then the stick moves and he almost shouts in delight.

`A stick bug for a Konoha shinobi`, Asao laughs. `Thank you`, he adds bowing. He takes it on his arm. It perches on his shoulder and goes down his arm close to his wrist. `Why not a leaf bug?` he can’t resist asking. Akimichi Kaoru is going to be green with envy when he shows her his new companion, he thinks happily.

The daimyo’s son smiles again. `This one is much rarer`, he replies. `And not so much on the nose as a leaf`, he adds. ` You can put many leaves on a branch`.

Asao hums, byakugan activated, looking at the bug. He can imagine it as a big summon. It would be awesome.

Far away he sees a courier running towards them from the direction they’ve come from. He keeps his face neutral but analyses him. He’ll catch up to them in less than half an hour and probably pass on to the residence of one of the border lords.

When the courier finally arrives, he goes directly to the palanquin and passes a scroll. Asao looks at it with his byakugan but cannot read the contents. They seem to be written in some sort of code. The daimyo’s double scans it, tells the messenger to wait then immediately starts composing a reply in the same code. He pays the messenger to change his course and take it immediately to the return address.

Asao manages to read the name of the post office from a merchant town four days away. He immediately thinks about Yuzuru and the group. Too bad he cannot send a message as well, oh wait, he can.

He almost starts making the signs for a body double when forces himself to still. It’s too dangerous to do it surrounded by retainers. Were he in another situation, he would wing it, but the samurai seem suspiciously well trained to sense chakra fluctuations. They would question the need of a clone, and he had seen how they have reacted to the group’s farce when they met the daimyo’s son on the road. It didn’t matter they did not use jutsu. Their fight with the big ninja showed exactly what they were capable of. He regretfully forces his hands back to his sides and starts admiring his stick bug again.

***

**Konoha, Uduki, 20 April K18**

Tobirama prepares for the council battle. It is their last meeting after more than two weeks of various negotiations. He looks around at the clan members, noting their alliances. Uchiha is allied with Hatake via marriage of a clan leader and an adopted daughter of the Uchiha Clan Head. Uchiha are also silently allied with the Hyuuga, courtesy of similar dojutsu and aided by the friendship between the Chief of Police Archives, and Arashi Hyuuga, cousin to the Clan Head who most probably are the ones who vouched for their clans. He is not quite sure yet how strog is the Uchiha –Hyuuga alliance.

Ironically, his own clan is the most fractured. Nara, Yamanaka, Akimichi and a part of Senju are more neutral, less inclined on an aggressive policy. They wish for more freedom in education but less standardization. There’s another Senju faction that wants the Uchiha and the other clans to have less leeway, especially in jutsu learning and usage. They also wish for any symbols they take to be Senju. For them, unity means adopting the Senju way. Then there’s Tobirama’s own faction which does _not_ include Uchiha haters, no matter what the Uchiha propaganda says, wanting village unity and standardization. He will have to play them against each other. Nara seem to be the ones who might listen.

 _Start slowly_ , Tobirama thinks, _and get them where I need them to_.

He opens the discussion with the new roster for the main caravans and merchant deals in the next month. The ones who had been responsible for compiling the list from active shiobi, all from his clan, tense and prepare for a verbal fight, but the other clans seem content. Or maybe they just watchful and saving their own battles.

_I need to prod them a little,_ Tobirama thinks, and raises the artisan and weapon makers issue next. Here he can see a ripple of movement, of discontent travelling through their facade. He smiles internally.

The idea of a standard weapon kit to be given to all Academy graduates was more or less received without complaint, but the discussion on weapon maintenance and subsequent purchases dissolves, as before, in a verbal fight. Tobirama insists that in that particular matter they should not necessarily go to their own artisans but also use the smaller clans’ and the independent weapon smiths. A pending list is made among murmurs of discontent.

Before they silence or explode again, Hatake raises the problem of farming on the outskirts of Konoha, and of provisions for each clan. The clans usually have their own providers, being quite independent, but there are just as many independent farmers for the rest of the population. Rice export becomes a hot topic for the next couple of hours with accusations and threats flying through the council chamber. Tobirama finally takes control of the room. _The problems when bringing big clans in the same space,_ he thinks annoyed. Some things weren’t really thought through at the making of this village.

The chosen representative on `The Academy Problem`, as it became to be called among the council, gets up and starts not on the uniform problem, or curriculum problem, but on the worst possible choice.

`On behalf of more than half of the clans-`

`-spearheaded by the Uchiha` coughs somebody,

`- we have compiled a list on the first Academy `graduates’, comprised of students aged fifteen to twenty. Our conclusion: Hatake needs to be fired-`

-literally’ mutters one Uchiha.

`- and stepts need to be taken to ensure all students receive a minimum of education while in the Academy, while the more advanced students do not waste their time there.`

`What was that bit at the beginning of your conclusion?` Tobirama asks patiently.

`Hatake needs to be fired`.

`Literally?` Cackles Nara.

`Permanently`. Uchiha says determined. His eyes are gleaming. The Uchiha council members shift. The representative, a shinobi from an unaffiliated clan, continues unperturbed.

`The Uchiha clan has claimed the Academy is detrimental to their clan. It is an attempt to destroy the clan on two fronts: first of all, by providing insufficient mental and physical stimulation, their clan members’ skills devolve and thus will be killed much easier in missions. The others are either at an inferior level, or need to take extra classes to catch up on their education, and so are not good as sparring partners. Not to mention sparring matches are heavily regulated after some minor incidents.`

`Like that time half the class almost killed each-other?` snarks a Hyuuga clan member.

`Or when _somebody_ decided to try the effectiveness of poison gas in an enclosed space with many Uchiha and Hyuuga clansmen?` remarks Yamanaka mildly. `My son was also there`, he adds, his face dark.

The representative ignores them and continues reading indifferently.

`Secondly, Hatake undermines our clan future by encouraging romantic relationships between students. In the past half a year, more than ten Uchiha clan members have eloped, and have been aided by Hatake. We are aware things may not go smoothly at the beginning, but Hatake needs to step away.`

`There was so much idiocy in that pretty turn of phrase I have no idea where to begin.`, remarks a Senju in the ensuing silence.

`It’s not our fault the whole forbidden love thing is irresistible to most teenagers. Especially the Uchiha tended to fall in love; for them the tragedy is usually part of the package, is it not? Very emotional masochists, they are`, Hatake replies idly, and everybody freezes for a moment.

`Well, he is the poster boy for a successful elopement with an Uchija’, a Nara remarks gleefully. ‘Maybe we should get some pointers from him`.

`It should be a special lesson in the Academy`, Hyuuga says calmly. `Hatake was allowed to marry because the Uchiha fields were bad two years in a row and the others had problems as well so they couldn’t be helped. The merchants hadn’t been any more help and got their prices much better elsewhere, all while apologised profusely. Hatake, the best farmer around managed to strangle the Uchiha. Very good lesson on strategy`.

In the ensuing clamour, the Uchiha bristle and Hatake demurs.

`What about clan purity?` shouts an Uchiha.

`What about it?` shrugs a Senju. `If both partners are strong…`.

`If both of them are mediocre you mean,` replies another Uchiha. `You lot don’t have precious traits to give to your offspring`.

`You say that and then you go and marry like crazy with outsiders`, replies the Hyuuga. `Keep your brats under control, Uchiha, I’m getting tired of grounding active shinobi.`

`Dojutsu users sure have it rough`, a Senju says sweetly, her poisoned earrings swaying slightly.

`Oh, don’t worry`, Yamanaka replies, `your girl got together with Haru Uchiha and eloped yesterday.`

`WHAT?`, the woman shouts outraged.

`My son, who had eloped with an Yamanaka branch girl discovered them and they initially thought those two were going to fight to the death.`

`Seriously, what’s with Uchiha and death?` mutters an unaffiliated clan representative.

`What’s with you and your boy seducing our girls?` yells another Hyuuga.

`Is this a parents’ association meeting or a council meeting?` Tobirama asks coolly.

`You don’t have kids so you din’t get it`, Uchiha snaps at him and the others make murmurs of agreement, for once on the same page.

`Then I propose they wear uniforms`, Tobirama announces. `They will be tracked _very_ easily with those. They’ll have trackers on them.`

The shinobi look at him murderously but in the end they unanimously agree on that.

Tobirama smiles. Point one won.

***

After the council, an impromptu meeting starts in an _izakaya_ between various Uchiha, Nara and Hyuuga clan members. When Tsutomu asks how they can solve the problems, Nara suggests they can start by drinking.

`Are we sure we don’t read too much into the messages?` Asks Uchiha Tsutomu after some serious bouts of trying to wash away their problems with the strongest alcohol they could find, forgetting the messages are only for the Uchiha. Fortunately the other clans are too plastered to notice his slurred words. They have started drawing the new shinobi, trying to see where they could improve by adding creative license.

`What have I missed? `, asks Suzuki Tatsuya, easing himself next to Saito Uchiha. He eyes the others.

`We’re drawing the new shinobi. Where should we put this accessory for maximum effect? Where is it better? We have neck, forehead, arm, leg or obi` says Tsutomu.

`What’s that on his forehead?` asks Tatsuya.

`Hitai-ate`, Arashi replies curtly.

`Shouldn’t it be on the forehead then? And we can just use a _hachimaki_ `, Tatsuya asks bewildered. `When was it decided we have to wear it? I thought everybody was against it.`

`This was discussed and agreed on while you were out`, Saito informs him. `Continuing on the shipment, you will receive yours in about a month’s time`.

`Receive what?`

`Your vest of course, it has pockets and comes with ten free sealing scrolls and fifty kunai`, Nara informs him cheerily, saluting with his cup.

`HUH? A vest? I have my _karuta_ plate armour. When did this happen?`

`While you were out` replies another Uchiha. He looks critically at Tsutomu’s doodle. `Now, autumn and dry season is reasonably well, but summer… or winter….`

`What are those abominations?`

`Our new footwear`.

`When was that decided? Who thought it would be a good idea? Normal _geta_ are better than this shit-`

`While you were out. And apparently they last longer than a normal geta. No more problems with the straps. Look, Yamazaki has the whole gear`. They look at him critically.

`So this is how we’ll look?` Tatsuya asks, looking at

`We have some leeway. It’s not in the written rules but we discussed it`.

` _When_? While I was out?`

`Nah, five minutes ago. When we started the meeting`.

Tatsuya looks at the empty sake bottles. This has been going on for at least two hours. He continues asking anyway, half-fearing the answer.

`What about the reply from the other Kages concerning the talks?`

`We already discussed that`.

`What about the Academy curriculum?`

`We already decided that`.

‘Are we changing it to be more suitable?`

`Nah`.

`Are we not going to talk about the war with Iwa?`

`We already did before you came`.

`And?`

`Yeah, we’re going to war`.

`Yeah, so we shouldn’t read so much into the messages`, continues Tsutomu.

`What message?`

`We already-`, everybody starts automatically when Tatsuya interrupts them, fed up.

`Gimme some booze then`.

`Congratulations, Your first correct answer`, Nara replies automatically while scribbling some lesson plans.

Before he can take more than a swig, Senju Kinako comes to their table moaning about the tragedy that will befall them. Uchiha Tsutomu tries to calms him down but Kinako turns to him with a betrayed look and babbles at him he read their message on purge and rats and how could he do that to the village.

Tsutomu looks at him bewildered then furiously yells at him that he should learn to read already.

`I can read the codes just well!` replies Kinako, punching the table for emphasis. It groans and cracks and the others quickly grab the bottles and put them down.

`I bet you read it horizontally and you confused the sign for rice stalk with the one for rat`, Tsutomu replies disgustedly.

`It was not written horizontally? Don’t lie to me, it was only one _retsu._ `

`Stop speaking in dialect`, Arashi Nara murmurs, `it makes you sound like well, from Tachimaki village. The word you’re looking for is _line_.`

`I _am_ from Tachimaki. And I **do** read`, Kinako shouts towards the Nara. Arashi takes his eyes off the paper and gives him a condescending look. `Well, Hatake tells me the stories`, he amends flushing.

The Nara gives him a pained look and takes a deep breath. `Stop being influenced by Hatake. He’s into Noh plays tragedies and he makes them even more melodramatic. He got the Academy students into it as well and there’ve been too many elopements. It doesn’t help he’s the embodiment of a successful one.` 

At that, Hatake manages to look smug even with ninety percent of his face covered. Tsutomu can actually see his teeth gleaming blindingly.

`How often do you say that to your students at the Academy?` Saito asks the Nara curiously. Hatake starts amusing himself with a kunai, taking aim at Saito’s fingers every time they approach a cup. Saito’s fingers twitch and his eyes flash red for a moment before he takes Hatake’s own cup and refills it. Hatake grins, puts his kunai away and refills Saito’s cup as well. Arashi gives them a dark look, pointedly drains his cup and Saito refills it immediately grinning.

Kinako blinks then turns back to Tsutomu Uchiha.

`Murata left a message in vertical abbreviated shorthand and you read it in standard code, horizontally`, Tsutomu tells him wearily. `I don’t get how you managed to read that from it`.

`Let’s hope you didn’t shout it from the rooftops`, Hatake remarks blandly.

At this, Kinako visibly pales and Tsutomu groans. Hatake remains his own smug self and the Hyuuga and Nara snort.

`I… might have been…. a bit….ummm…. _Ialreadytoldmysuperior.`_ he confesses guiltily.

`Whoops`, Hatake shouts gleefully startling Nara into throwing his brush at him.

`Well, it was to be expected`, Hyuuga Arashi remarks calmly. `From _you_ I meant`, he adds mockingly.

`We should resolve the situation before we get a war on our hands`, Tsutomu groans. Next to him, Kinako nods frantically.

`I thought we **were** going to war` deadpans Suzuki Tatsuya.

`Yeah, but with other people`.

`They should get it if we explain to them properly`, Senju Kinako starts unsurely.

Those who were present at the council meetings snort derisively at this but Saito Uchiha, made more optimistic by the liberal intake of alcohol gets up enthusiastically and slaps Kinako on the back.

`That’s the spirit!` he exclaims. `We’ll work it out. And if they don’t get it`, Saito adds swaying slightly, ` we can just beat them up until they get it. It works all the time`. 

`Aren’t you police?`, Tatsuya asks him arching an eyebrow.

`I am` he replies. `So I enforce the law`.

`With fists?` Kinako asks him, apparently recovered enough to start insulting the Uchiha.

`With fire jutsu`, Saito replies slapping his back again with enough force to deal some internal damage. `But this time we won’t need to. I brought my secret weapon. Old Sake. We’ll do it dipol – dipli- diplomatically. Let’s go!`, he adds cheerfully.

Hyuuga, Hatake and Nara remain seated at the table and watch the others depart through windows and in one unfortunate case directly through the wall. `It was the shortest distance. We need to conserve energy`, they vaguely hear Tsutomu explaining himself to one irate waiter.

They continue sipping sake and watching the other patrons, starting their usual game of trying to find the other people's profession and as many details as possible from their body language.

The Nara is on a winning streak despite not having a natural advantage like the other two. After a while, Hatake and Hyuuga Arashi glance at each other then Hatake starts.

`That man, over there, at the counter, stinks of blood.`

`And he has many knives and other strange tools, most probably for torture on him`, adds Arashi Hyuuga after discreetly checking with his byakugan.

`I’ll see what he is about`, replies Nara crcking his knuckles.

`Policing, Nara-san?`Hatake asks, amused. `Saito would have a field day with that`.

`It’s my cousin’s daughter’s son in law’s friend’s establishment`, he replies without missing a beat. ` He’s practically family`, he adds, looking with his eyes narrowed at the tipsy man at the counter.

He goes to the counter and slides next to the man. He orders a drink and takes out his favourite dagger and starts inspecting it with an interested air. The other looks at him and his eyes widen.

`What a beautiful blade!` He exclaims. `Lovely. The shape, the way the blade curves slightly, the width, the many folded steel, that beautiful wave pattern on the blade, such poetry`, he continues watching the blade avidly. The Nara turns to him with a surprised air, faking embarrassment.

 **`** Do you like knives?`, he asks tentatively.

`Yes, I love knives.`, the other replies enthusiastically. `I have some very good knives. Split the skin, fat and muscle before the other known what’s happening. Of course, I have other tools of the trade`, he boasts.

`Not to brag, but I have some of the best skills in cutting. You? I also use knives in my profession`, the Nara replies.

`So nice to find a fellow`, exclaims the other swaying. `So, what do you specialise on? I usually go for kids and pregnant women.`

`I know`, he continues seeing the other’s expression. `Seems a bit different, but trust me, I can totally do both without any problem. Of course I never refuse the client, no matter the age. But I got famous for the first two categories. You know, not many dare do it. I don’t get why.’

`Your job is it fulfilling?`, Nara asks with his teeth clenched.

`Of course. There’s the blood, guts, bones strewed everywhere afterwards, but looking at the crying family, most of the time kneeling, you feel so accomplished. It warms my heart. I usually let them see the client immediately afterwards. They are always surprised.`

`Heee`, replies the Nara, gulping his sake. His left hand is clenched on the dagger’s hilt.

`Yeah. With pregnant women, I always make the father watch as well while I do it. They usually faint`, he says chuckling. `A pity since I finish quite quickly. I don’t like to drag things out with pregnant women. A quick small deep cut, a twist of the hand and I’m done`.

`Hmmm`, Nara says desperately trying to stop himself from killing the other. _I was stupid when I agreed on the no violence rule between the walls of the village._ , he thinks darkly. _Next council I’m going to raise hell for this._

The other continues on, oblivious. `I also like give some memento to the father. Some umbilical cord cut from the mother. Something that connected both of them.`

The Nara looks nauseous. `Do you work alone?` he asks, trying to get as much information as possible.

`In a team of course. I couldn’t do it alone. Most of them I taught them myself. Some were scared of flying blood and fragments of bone at first. Now, they don’t even blink at sawing arms and legs off or spraying blood. Even if it gets in their face, they continue. One of mine even started forming his own team, you know. He was afraid of blood at first. He told me to watch him work once. When I saw him crack open the chest with nary a thought, I felt my heart swell with pride. I’m so proud of teaching him`, the other says then starts crying in his glass, moaning about missing his students.

`What do _you_ like most about your job?` he asks the Nara suddenly.

The Nara smiles nastily. `Sometimes we can choose our _clients_ free of charge.`

`I know, I also do that sometimes- I-`.

`Why are you here?` the Nara interrupts what he feels will be a new long monologue.

`I was asked by the Uchiha actually. Some of them need my skills`.

The Nara gets up quickly with a muttered excuse and storms back to the table who got two new additions: Yamazaki and Senju Sasaki, two new Academy graduates, ones of the few who had managed to form a friendship without threatening the other to death.

`Who let that sick psycho in?` hisses the Nara. `He loves torturing small kids and women and makes the family watch. He’s sick. And apparently the Uchiha asked for his services`.

`The Uchiha are here, in this village. You can go and ask them directly`, Sasaki tells him beaming, and the Nara storms off, shouting he’ll go find the Uchiha.

`Should we tell him that’s a famous doctor`? Asks Hatake sardonically.

`Nah, better let him get down a peg or two`, smirks Arashi Hyuuga.

They raise their cups and Yamazaki continues telling them about their last fiasco mission, with a mixed convoy with ninja hired from Water, Iwa and Suna, Konoha. 

One night, after the groups separated by country, someone from Iwa mistook the songs from the Water shinobi as an attack, and started attacking the other group. The Suna shinobi, also drunk, went to help those from Iwa but got lost and went towards the part of the convoy guarded by the Konohans. The drunk water shinobi retaliated with some powerful water jutsus, unfortunately poorly aimed. The Konoha shinobi bore the brunt of the attack from both sides and started attacking everybody. Amazingly, there were no casualties.

`This is nothing`, Hatake tells them. You should hear about The Madarama Incident`.

Arashi Hyuuga groans and the other two look at them curiously. `The What incident?`

`One diplomatic mission to Suna somehow got both Madara and Tobirama on it. It was during Hashirama’s time as Hokage so he might have had a hand in it. Long story short, during the meeting with the silk merchants about hiring escorts for their caravans, everybody got convinced those two have some unresolved feelings toward each other.` Arashi replies.

`Well, they did, didn’t they?` Yamazaki asks, confused. `Tobirama did kill his brother. Don’t they know that?`

`I was informed the chemistry between those two was crackling`. Hatake snorted.

`Literally, from Madara. Tobirama would have been a block of ice.`

`So what, they saw the contrast and decided that?` Sasaki asks, bewildered. `It’s quite a familiar trope from your stories, Sensei`, he continues turning towards Hatake. `

`Hmmm, well, minor things like killing each other’s family will never deter some people`, replies Sasaki shrugging.

`Did the Suna shinobi start the rumor?` Yamazaki asks Arashi.

`Yes`, the other replied. `It worked to discredit their image. I heard Suna managed to get a profitable deal out of this. Madara and Tobirama were furious`.

`Did they have a counter campaign?` Sasaki asks Arashi as well.

`Well, the deal went bad. The caravans disappeared, and that huge business got mysteriously destroyed in a couple months. So others learnt not to get on both Tobirama AND Madara’s bad side. Too bad they couldn’t work together after that as well.`

` **This** is why Suna is so eager to attack us now?`, Yamazaki asks, amazed.

`We cost them a vital deal, so yes. They would want to retaliate`, Hatake replies calmly. `We won’t lose this time either`, he continues flatly.

***

**Road in Yuzu County, April 22**

They are worried about Yuzuru. He is always flushed, does not sleep, never lets the others help with the kittens anymore. At one point he almost broke Ayame’s arm when she tried to take at least a kitten from him.

At an impromptu council, Masanobu suggests he should simply take them by force. Yuzuru is sick and delirious. He cannot go on like this. Ayame and the others counter that the kittens will be hurt or even die in the altercation and it would defeat their purpose. They try and give him medicine. Yuzuru refuses, hostile. He does not stay in group anymore. They must wait and hope he gets better or that they arrive at the house in time for him to not get brain damage.

Before leaving Yuzu, Ayame swings by the post office, declining Arao’s suggestion to accompany her. Mizumachi and Tanaka look at them strangely but do not comment.

She finds a letter to her from Shinsuke and opens it quickly. It is written in English with random words in French and German, the last of which _which she doesn’t know_.

The gist of it seems to be the identity of Madara’s important family member: one Izuna Uchiha, clan head as well, brother, dead at the present Hokage’s hands. The information is detailed on his appearance, from height, face structure, even weapons and clothing style. She will be able to identify him quite easily. He has even enclosed a quick sketch, he said, visible when she turned the paper towards the sun.

`I need to know where he gets that info from`, she thinks. She idly turns the paper back and a small line makes her pause.

It is written in a beautiful European style calligraphy and the words make her heart skip unpleasantly.

_See you soon, Usagi-chan_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of references this chapter. An obvious influence is from manzai comdy, and a big part of the dialogue at the beginning is made almost entirely from japanese proverbs and one famous phrase. I did say Madara was inspired partially (for me) by Oda Nobunaga, so it was fitting.
> 
> It is known the phrase, ‘高転びに転ぶ – Takakorobini korobu’ was pronounced by Ankokujii Ekei, a Zen priest who became a military strategist and diplomat later in the Age of Provincial War during the late 16th century in Japan. Ekei predicted the fall of Oda Nobunaga who succeeded in unifying divided warring countries and became the virtual ruler of Japan around 1580, by saying '高転びに転ぶ - A haughty man should tumble down' well before the new ruler's unexpected early death.
> 
> Oda Nobunaga: the guy who almost unified Japan, known for innovative military tactics (aided by the new weapons the european traders brought him), free trade, reform of civil government, art , the utter destruction of the monks and all others living at Mount Hiei (search for Mt. Hiei's importance, it's mind blowing what he did), for destroying Iga and Kouga, the two very real ninja villages. 
> 
> The kotowaza (proverb) discussion, was inspired by the way diplomats discussed politics: with allusions to poems from the Confucian classics. Here's a list of the proverbs used. Some have been written only in English in the main part.
> 
> kaeru no ko ha kaeru.`  
> kappa no nagashi  
> takekorobi ni korobu  
> tsuki to suppon  
> kawaii ko ni ha tabi o saseyo  
> Abata mo ekubo  
> saru mo ki kara ochiru  
> oni ni kanabou –  
> oni no me ni mo namida
> 
> No matter their special powers, people need to maintain and protect the main roads and there are certain access points that need to be always manned and ready for defence should an invasion ever arrive. The daimyo should have his own men for it, but shinobi should also be there as backup. The fact that their troop mobility is much greater does not change that fact, but it does change the number of active shinobi on that duty. Madara had a good idea with the `road maintenance`. They are basically supervising. Shinobi are not that independent yet, even Orochimaru did not just plop down his village, he asked for the daimyo’s permission first. Maybe shinobi villages will become more of an independent state after this war (Tobirama’s certainly going for it), but they are and will be under their land’s daimyo.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please read the ending notes for explanations :)

**??? time, ??? location, mountains**

Ayame groans when she sees the unfamiliar landscape. She is on a mountain path surrounded by pine trees. Down, in the end of a long valley she can see a village. A river snakes its way along it, full with boats. `Let’s go back to training then`, she thinks and jumps. Her descent is quickly and violently arrested. She looks up in confusion and sees a kid, his face screwed up in concentration, holding her obi for dear life.

`Let me go`, she shouts at him.

`Don’t throw your life away!`, he shouts at her. `Take my hand and climb up!`

`You better let me fall, kid!`, Ayame yells back at him. `You’re going to fall with me!`

`So what, do you feel responsible for _my_ life?’ he retorts, breathless. His hands are shaking from her weight.

`Are we seriously having this conversation right now?` Ayame bites out incredulously. `Let me go, I’ll be fine`, she promises him.

`Lies`, the boy grits out. His bun has some stray hairs and his forelocks are plastered to his face, damp from exertion. `Start climbing back up or you’ll kill me`.

`So bossy`, Ayame replies, displeased, but the boy is indeed slipping so she grabs some handholds and eases up, aided by the kid. Up on the path again, she takes a better look at him. He’s a kid of no more than twelve, judging by his hairstyle, which is caught in a warrior’s bun, but with his hime locks still covering his forehead and flowing at the sides of his round face. She tries to put some distance and try again but the boy sticks to her hand like a limpet.

`You can let go of my hand now`, Ayame tells him.

`You’ll just try and jump again` the boy replies indignantly. `I’ll escort you to the village and they’ll take you in`,

`Are you the local hero?` Ayame asks him, irritated. She wants to get back. She is already in an unfamiliar place, and unfamiliar places are hard to return from. She expects a few other side trips and she’s not in the mood for entertaining wannabe heroes.

`Life is precious`, the boy tells her again.

`All life? Do you defend all life?`, Ayame asks him again, idly. If she finds his grip slackening even a little bit, she won’t care about any trauma he might get from this. She’ll take her chance and jump.

`I defend those who cannot defend themselves`, the boy replies. His grip gets even stronger. `The animals, the little kids…`, he trails off.

Ayame glances at him. `Aren’t you a little kid as well? And I see you put the animals in the first place`.

`Of course`, the boy replies.

`I am neither of those. Why did you save me?`

The boy looks at her pityingly. `You look like a startled rabbit`, he tells her. `Usagi-nee!`

`At least you have the courtesy to call me older sister`, Ayame murmurs. `Where are we?` she asks him. Maybe she can get some coordinates and try and aim for a specific place.

The boy turns his head up to her and smiles. `The Bear Valley`, he says. His voice is musical. `But there aren’t any bears here`, he adds mischievously.

`Bear Valley, Bear Valley`, Ayame repeats, trying to remember if she had seen any place like that on the maps. She hadn’t.

In the end, they get to the valley and she hadn’t been able to shake him off. She found out his name `Call me Shinsuke`, but that was it. No clan name was given despite obviously having one.

On the wide path next to the river she sees another person coming towards them. It looks like a travelling warrior, with a _kusarigama_ at his belt. Shinsuke finally lets go of her hand and goes forward.

`Fight me!` he cries, his voice surprisingly strong and resonant. `I put my name on your challenge strip and yet you refused it, you coward!`

The man sneers at him. `Go away, kid! Your uncle begged me to ignore your foolish request and I forgave your stupidity. Do not test my patience`.

`I will beat you and become a true warrior`, the boy declares. `I will be able to leave for training then. You`, he adds forcefully ` are my stepping stone`.

The other man looks pissed. He nods once and takes off his luggage, and his hands creep to his obi where his main weapon is held. But Shinsuke doesn’t give him time to draw. He launches himself at the man, a fist sized rock in his hand and hits his temple. The man goes down, dazed, and the boy starts bashing his with the rock. It has jagged edges, Ayame observes distantly. She looks on dumbly, hearing the muffled sound of stone striking flesh and bone. Finally, after twenty or so strikes, when the man’s head has become a mess of splintered bone and blood, he turns to her. His face is glowing from a fine layer of sweat. The blood splatters do not hide his excited expression.

There are others, she sees realises then, witnesses to that murder. Fishing boats, and a man in a dark robe is now running on the path, shouting Shinsuke’s name. So Shinsuke is his child’s name, Ayame realises as in a dream. He’ll surely change it now, after his first kill.

Then Shinsuke starts walking towards her and Ayame finally remembers how to move and starts running back. Shinsuke shouts after her to stop, to stop trying to waste her life, and she feels hysterical screaming bubbling in her chest. She feels him, close on her heels and she runs wildly, veering off the path into the undergrowth. She runs blindly, stumbles and rolls down a gentle slope, stopping forcefully in something warm. She sees a blur of orange and black, an acrid smell hits her nose and a great paw throws her ten paces away.

`So there’s no bears but tigers`, she thinks wildly. She tries to stand but she loses her footing immediately. The tiger jumps on her back and just as she feels the pressure of its teeth closing on her neck, she switches and arrives on top of a mountain.

The air is crisp, the landscape is wonderful. A silver lake winks down in a valley. She sighs and steps in the void. Soon, the rush of air and the rapidly approaching lake do not seem so fairy-tale-like anymore and her muscles freeze painfully in fear. Just before the impact she falls hard on her silver-blue futon. She rolls around for a bit, relieved, laughing and crying hysterically and checks for injuries. A sprained wrist and a pulled muscle in her leg seem to be the worst. She gets up grimacing and goes outside to report to Sato.

After hearing her report, he starts her on memorisation exercises and fuinjutsu theory.

`No rest for the wicked`, she murmurs, and daydreams while watching Mizumachi and Masanobu spar together.

A sharp rap to her head wakes her up. Looking up, she sees Sato’s disapproving face looking down at her.

`Are the characters too difficult for you?` , he asks her, nodding towards the theory scroll.

Ayame nods despondedly, trying to look as pitiful as possible. Saito frowns then sits next to her.

`I’ll explain the main points and more difficult characters. Which ones do you not know?`

Ayame gestures vaguely towards the scroll. `Most of them?` she tries.

Sato gives her a _look_ and she flushes. `Hanae told me your level and I chose this text based on his evaluation. Concentrate`

Ayame lets her head fall to her chest then sneaks a glance at him. He is as usual, hard to describe and instantly forgettable. The lines of his shoulders are straight and relaxed, no vulnerability or tenseness showing. He seems...purposeful and radiates inexorability like an incoming tsunami. Or a volcanic eruption. If you are caught in it, you can only go along to your death.

Ayame looks back at the scroll in her lap and starts reading out loud.

***

* * *

**End of May, South-western part of Fire Country, close to Ishigaki**

The early summer rains have already begun. Three people dressed in muddy colours walk between the rice fields. One of them has their head covered in a dark red scarf whose ends hang wetly on its sides.

Ayame trudges on between Hanae and Tadanobu, wet and miserable. Her headscarf does not help that much against the sudden rain. Hanae looks back at her and offers her an encouraging smile for her benefit. `Dripping water shapes the stone`, he says. `This is going to be over quickly`.

`Please stop talking about water`, Ayame grits out. `I’ve had headaches since Uduki. First spring rains, now Samidare, who, as the name implies, really puts me on edge mentally, and then we’ll have one month of rain during Tsuyu. Joy`.

`It will be a short rain`, Hanae assures her.

`Don’t be so sure`. Ayame replies gloomily. `We could find ourselves into heavy rain`.

As if in answer, the clouds part and the rain now sparkles in the sun. Hanae grins. `See, it’s a fox’s wedding as well. An omen perhaps?`, he continues on blithely.

`Let’s hope it’s not a fox’s funeral`, Ayame mutters darkly. `Stupid rice riots`.

`Please don’t talk about this anymore`, cautions Hanae. `We’re getting close to Ishigaki. Tomorrow meet our contacts to relay the date and then we leave for Konoha`.

During night, Ayame wakes up confused. The normally dark room is washed in a muted orange light that brightens erratically, with dancing shadows moving quickly on the screen. It looks like some weird shadow theatre.

She automatically snatches her survival kit and rushes outside to meet the others. When she opens the screen, she sees people running, hears shouts and screams. Bewildered, she asks Tadanobu, who flew out from the next room, what happened. 

Hanae appears at their side, face grim. `Someone put to fire all warehouses and most important buildings`

` _Tero_?`, Tadanobu asks, bewildered.

Hanae doesn’t ask what the word means, but tells them to follow him and keep low. They have to get out. This was not supposed to happen.

Soon, they get to fighting. Apparently the attackers haven’t used the darkness to cover their tracks. A rumble of earth almost sweeps them off their feet and a fire jutsu almost hits Tadanobu. Hanae kicks him out of the way and retaliates, screaming at them to take cover. The problem is, they have nowhere to hide. Every building surrounding them is burning or has an enemy. There’s only a straight road, surrounded by burning buildings.

A searing heat comes from the right. Ayame turns her head and sees a column of fire coming straight at her. In the fire jutsu’s path Ayame automatically concentrates, briefly feels searing heat and light and almost falls on top of a man bathing in an onsen. He looks up and she recognises his features from Shinsuke’s sketch. She stretches her hand to catch something of him and he jumps and moves in to strike her, eyes red. The imminence of mortal peril seems almost comforting. She grins and manages to catch some strands of wet hair as he closes in and they both continue falling.

They fall and roll on hard earth, the impact knocking them away from each other. The air is full of smoke and ash. A huge ornate building is burning along with other smaller ones. It is night. Ayame tastes the smell of burnt flesh and ash in the back of her throat, gags and coughs. She has lost her survival kit either on the first trip or on the second one.

People in various pieces of armour lay dead, spread out the courtyard. Still laying down, she sees a corpse with his head split open. Izuna rolls on his feet and as he she croaks `I’m with your brother`, and shows him Madara’s seal. Izuna freezes, then nods and starts searching the corpses for something to wear and weapons.

She gets up, rips a clean piece of cloth from her jacket and puts it around her nose and mouth. She gives another one to Izuna and looks around trying to ignore the contorted corpses fallen in fighting. They are in a sort of interior courtyard, surrounded in three places by burning buildings. The way out is full of smoke and partially blocked by some barricades that have been ripped apart. The ground looks like a giant has punched great holes in it. Parts of the buildings have been destroyed by some great force, leaving gaping holes.

She sees one kneeling dead soldier, still clutching at a ripped flag. It flutters gently across his face. Other two are almost locked in an embrace, one with a dagger in the throat and the other with a sharp piece of wood protruding from an eye.

On her right, another one seems to be half laying down on some makeshift barricade. His empty eyes stare at the burning rooftop in front of him. An arrow shaft sprouts from his neck, others from his shoulder. In front of the steps to the right she seen one corpse with a mountain of others dead at the foot of the stairs, with detached limbs littered everywhere. It looks like a toymaker’s shop spare limbs. The defender still has a naginata clutched in his hands.

`There have been two separate attacks here` she thinks. `One with normal weapons, the second one with jutsu users. The tide of the battle changed immediately`.

`Where are we?` Izuna asks. `I assume you had a reason for calling me. What jutsu did you use? How did you infiltrate the compound? _How would my brother send you if he’s there with me?_ ` He advances on her and she shies back. Her eyes are scratchy from smoke. The building cracks and groans, a portion falls in a shower of sparks and a wave of heat that makes her feel she got in a boiler. Some sparks land on her and she bats at them to stop them from catching on fire. Izuna slaps violently at one on her right shoulder.

`I, don’t know`, she coughs. ` I came to find you from further away. In time. Your brother needs you.`

`Does he?` Izuna says. `Then why send you and not ask directly? Are we estranged?`

`Umm...dead. Unfortunately.`

Izuna stills. His naginata goes point down and he shoves her behind an upturned cart and crouches next to her, activating his sharingan. His hair is still mostly wet, with steam rising faintly from his drying hair, giving him a ghostly appearance. Ashes are caught in his hair. They slowly make their way towards the exit. `Take care, they might wait for survivors`, he tells her curtly.

Ayame stays as close as possible to him, trying to keep a hold on him. Izuna waves her off. `I need to touch you`, she whispers. There’s no telling when an arrow will fly towards her, or a jutsu, or a knife so she hovers as close to him as possible. She can’t imagine what will happen if she goes back without Izuna. She’ll definitely not find him again. And there’s no way to predict what is going to happen if he disappears before his time and does who knows what who knows where. This is their only chance.

They pass more corpses of fallen attackers and defenders. Some people moan in pain, most are dead. The worst corpses are those that are still burning or smoking gently. The smell makes her vomit.

They get out of the first courtyard and see themselves in another bigger one with five exists, three of which seem to lead towards burning buildings. Two have been destroyed by some jutsu. None of them seem a great option.

After a bit of hesitation, Izuna takes them to one destroyed. They inch along walls, skirt around, up and under barricades and fallen pieces of buildings and corpses. Always corpses. Izuna sometimes stops and takes some weapon, or a piece of armour. She tries to help him put it on. Her fingers feel stiff. The armour pieces are dirty, most with blood as well as ash. Izuna also makes her put on some protection. It doesn’t fit her too well. It jostles, makes her feel clunky. The pieces of lacquered wood are splattered with blood and mud and they clink with every movement. Izuna manages to remain silent in his. She feels she’s wearing a corpse. The orange grey light and the taste of ash becomes the only constant. She tries not to think too much and focus on Izuna. Not losing Izuna is what’s important right now.

Izuna stops and motions for her to stay low. She approaches him and sees they are almost out of the complex. There are live soldiers, who stand by and watch the burning. Izuna gives a small sound of recognition. The firelight plays on their covered faces, distorting the sneering war masks even more.

`If my brother needs me`, he says, `this is a strange way to go about it`.

Izuna points to three warriors with yellow and green knotted ropes on their armour. They are kneeling defiantly. Another one, with white and red ropes stands in front of them. He is saying something, and although the sound is muffled a bit by the distance, the words are quite clear. Ayame feels her blood drain from her face. He sounds archaic. She has read some Old Japanese with the aid of dictionaries and modern translations, but the written language is much easier than the spoken one. She can’t understand a thing he’s saying.

A look to Izuna confirms he is in the same predicament. He hisses once and tells her to stay still. The one standing has taken a sword out and cut the two kneeling people’s heads. Ayame finds it familiar.

`Masamune` hisses Izuna. `This must be the Taira general`.

`So that means…`

Izuna looks at her, a maniacal glint in his red eyes. `We are in the middle of the first riots in the imperial capital, at the burning of the Imperial Palace. That’s 伏見乃紅帝`. The words are lost in the horror of the spectacle.

‘Who?‘ Ayame asks again.

` _Fushimi no Bentei`,_ Izuna hisses. The name doesn’t ring a bell but Izuna motions for her to stay silent.

`We need to try and leave the other way. We’ll never get away from here unnoticed from the front`, he whispers.

They leave and Ayame looks back again to the group. And impossibly, her gaze meets the general’s. He shouts, a call so loud she feels it like a physical blow. Izuna curses, takes her arm and drags her away at a sprint. She stumbles but Izuna simply continues bodily dragging her on.

Ayame knows she should not look back. But she knows they had started chasing them.

Izuna stops suddenly and rushes in behind her, blocking a killing blow with his naginata. There are five people after them. The fight starts in earnest and Ayame realises that Madara never showed them what he could really do. Despite allthat happened, despite the mismatched clothing, armour and weapons, Izuna keeps them all at bay.

She desperately tries to both stay close to him and get away from the melee, acutely aware she is hindering his movements. His eyes are glowing red, she sees, but she can’t see what they do. Genjutsu? But the others do not seem very affected if that’s the case.

She has a horrible thought. _What if he was chakra exhausted **before** this trip? _

She looks around again to see if they can lose the others when she freezes. The bloody general was there, his sword drawn, the black blade shining dully. A red mane flows on his back from the top of his helmet.

 _No, no no nonono_ , she thinks desperately. _It makes no sense. Are they that afraid of survivors? Whose palace was it anyway? We must get away. Get Izuna. Get away._

The thoughts clamour in her head. The general advances and rushes in exactly after Izuna parries a strike from a _nodachi_ and twists to avoid being hit by a club. His sword pierces Izuna’s side and she screams in horror.

The general turns around and searches. Izuna manages to jump away and rushes on top of a burning building, trying to get to her from above. He is followed by two attackers, who move silently and agilely after him. The rest fan out to block any exit points, effectively creating a bottleneck.

The general advances on her and she is forced to take her eyes off Izuna and skirts behind some rubble and upturned carts, watching the way in. There are corpses there as well. Some seem to be of children.

`鼠我居留乃菓名菓苦礪他居乃菓名‘ she hears him say. His voice is clear, his tone mocking.

He arrives behind the cart as well, three paces away from her. Well into killing distance, she realises with a shiver of fear. Death is not an option here. She cannot die here, but she doesn’t always have the certainty she will merely move in another location. Right now she is quite certain she will die. And if Masamune kills her, she has a sinking feeling she will die for real. Forever.

The war mask looks at her with a sneer. His eyes aren’t visible. Only his voice is clear.

`鼠夜理兎妥根`, he tells her.

Seeing her confused expression, he briefly puts his hands together and makes the Rabbit seal.

Ayame startles visibly at that. At the same moment, a naginata comes flying down, burying into the place the general had occupied seconds before, followed by Izuna himself.

Ayame feels a moment of relief. Izuna had managed to get closer. Maybe they’ll have a chance so leave together soon. She stretches her hand towards him, when the general rushes in to meet Izuna and her optimistic thoughts are blown away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First part, with the kid is inspired by the story of Miyamoto Musashi, who at the same age, duelled and killed a warrior (by attacking with a bokken- wooden sword, and then bashing the guy’s head in with it. Not a rock)  
> The second part has, again, quite a lot of expressions with rain, translated from Japanese. Yes, the dialogue concerning water and rain is mostly from translated expressions or words concerning rain. Japanese have more than 50 words for rain….  
> The last part is inspired by Heiji Monogatari, an epic which discusses some revolts in the imperial capital in Japan towards the end of the Heian period.   
> The dialogues during that era, as well as the name of the general are written for authenticity in kanji, phonetically. This is how they wrote at first. One kanji, one sound. Of course the same sound could be written in multiple kanji so trying to read something was a lot of fun….  
> The general says something along the lines of `Is there a rat hiding there, I wonder`, then he says `rather than a rat, looks like it’s a rabbit (usagi).` - sounds so much better in Japanese….  
> The characters for his name are also significant and tell quite a lot about him, but I’ll leave that for another time.


	10. Gordian Knot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things continue to go unexpectedly wrong for mostly everybody.

**_`Usagi-chan, will you give me something if I let you leave?`_** Ayame hears Shinsuke ask her again on that road so long ago. She grits her teeth and puts it to the back of her mind. She has other concerns now.

During the fight, she tries to get close to Izuna, ignoring danger this time. Izuna fights against three opponents, the general going for close combat while the other two assist from mid-range. Their attacks seem focused on killing blows.

She keeps an eye for the other two as well. They are closer to the exists, making sure she doesn’t get away. She turns back to the main fight.

`Now it would have been a great time for the general to say he wants us alive`, she thinks, irrationally angry. Despite his injuries Izuna seems to hold on quite well. Maybe. She doesn’t know anymore. It is clear they are not trying to get them alive. She starts running towards them, hoping Izuna will get what she’s going for and give her a straight line to him. They do not stay put, Izuna weaving in, out and around the rubble, columns and barricades so that he isn’t boxed in.

She gets distracted for a moment in tracking Izuna’s movements and when she checks for the other two soldiers, she can’t find them anymore. She whirls back reflexively, guard up in a parry and gets a spear through her guard. The point smashes in her chest. The wood shatters and the force throws her back, her armour breaking from impact in the back as well.

By dumb luck and reflexes honed from countless repetitions, she manages to deflect another hit but the reverse move catches her left side, thankfully not with the point. She is knocked sideways into a bronze statue and she blacks out.

She wakes up on a hard chest. She touches the sides gingerly. It is cold and unyielding. She opens her eyes. It is dark.

Her memories are jagged glass fragments and trying to piece them together hurts. Her thoughts run sluggish. She turns her head carefully, muscles straining painfully and looks around. There’s light coming from somewhere. She’s in a cave. No, a cavern-like structure. Eyes adjusting in the dim light, she sees a ceiling, tapering in a point, walls that seem decorated in spirals. The smells are clean and slightly damp, a stark contrast to the burning city from behind.

Her chest hurts when she breathes. Her whole body is stiff. A cold draft makes her shiver. She hears a moaning sound rise and culminate with a piercing wailing sound, making the whole roof vibrate. It sounds like a monster.

Her memory comes back and she jumps up awkwardly, muscles stiff, and slides from her perch almost spraining her left ankle. She sees what she was sitting onto and she swears. The torso of the bronze statue is under her, cold now, partially melted on one side from a fire jutsu. Izuna must have done it.

`Don’t tell me I took the statue with me and not Izuna`, she thinks. She almost pulls her hair.

`I am here`, she hears. She turns and now she sees a silhouette. Izuna had been watching her.

`Where are we?` her sides hurt when she breathes. She is also bleeding from a leg wound she hasn’t noticed.

Izuna tells her to come and see. His left side is slick with blood. He moves carefully, keeping her on his right side.

She goes, towards him and it gets lighter, then they’re out and a vista opens up. They are on top of a thin spire of a mountain, surrounded by tall peaks. The vegetation is lush and green lower on the slopes and the sky is darkening with clouds.

The first bout of lightning strikes, followed by hundreds of others. A flash-storm. Then, one strikes their spire, and it resonates with a clear note, like the ringing of a bell, followed immediately by a lower booming sound of the thunder. The whole building vibrates, the sound-wave rippling through her in one strong ripple.

After it ends, her muscles aren’t stiff anymore. On the negative side, her wounds hurt even more than before, blood flowing faster.

The sky opens and water starts pouring in torrents from the sky, accompanied by flashes of lightning and booms of thunder. The spire is singing, roof resonating with various notes from the rain. Some pots under the eaves collect rain in a counter melody.

Soon, torrents like waterfalls form on the slopes, adding the sounds of rushing torrents. From time to time, lightning strikes the roof, making it toll gravely again and again, rattling her to her bones. Other, similar bell-like sounds of different pitches are heard from afar. Flashes of lightning touch the tops of the mountains, fingers of light.

After every sound wave, Ayame feels her head spin and her muscles turn to water. She feels _something_ loosening inside her, running through her body, at the same time comforting and icy.

`Lightning Country`, Izuna breaths. `How did we get here?`

`I suppose I wanted the opposite`, Ayame thinks. 

Izuna turns to her and motions to get inside the building. She hesitates, thinking about the shiny roof and the lightning strikes but the pouring rain doesn’t leave her with much choice. They take shelter in the temple. Inside, lights have bloomed from the walls, washing the interior in a warm glow. The lightning energy seems to have been harvested.

Now with enough light, Ayame checks her clothes for her hidden scrolls. She has several sewn into her clothes for unexpected situations, one with a modern emergency kit. She opens them with her blood since her chakra is almost non-existent. Izuna watches her.

To distract him, Ayame asks him for clarifications regarding their earlier altercation.

Izuna agrees, on the condition that she must also answer his questions afterwards. Ayame nods and he begins.

From his story, she understands, there was an Empire, or a Big Country, she is not sure on the right terminology, comprising Fire, Rice, Hot Water and Iron Country. At some point, the ninja clans along with the border nobles started to rebel and the empire fractured and went to a series of warlords. As reasons, those from Iron were the first to rebel because resources were scarce and they had to fight with Iwa all the time. On the borders with Wind, incursions in Fire’s fertile lands got more frequent and they did not get any help from the central government. Rice country had heavy taxes, as well as Hot Water. It was the usual history, so similar to the end of imperial rule in Japan, she almost thinks she went back in a slightly alternate version of history.

Her throat still feels parched and hurts from the earlier smoke and ash. She goes back to the opening and still under the roof, strains to drink rainwater. It tastes cold and fresh, slightly metallic with a faint electric aftertaste. It’s invigorating. She feels full of energy. She smiles. Izuna has a ghost of a smile as well.

She spies a round ladle with a long thin handle balanced on the top of a dragon’s head, next to the entrance. She takes it, washes it in rainwater and drinks deeply. Izuna raises an eyebrow at her and she shrugs.

`I’m not going to use it to wash my hands. See? Washed by rain already` she says stretching her right hand outward, letting rain run through her fingers.

She continues watching the rain fall. The thunder is a constant thrum, almost like a heart. It also gets colder so she instinctively scoots closer to Izuna.

`Before you ask, I have no idea when, where, why, who or how you died. I only knowyou’re not there`.

`Why look for me specifically?`

Ayame shifts uncomfortably. Izuna snorts. `As leverage against my brother?`

`No`, she denies. `Not exactly`. She sighs. `You’ll see when we get there. It’s hard to explain`.

Izuna shrugs, leans back and closes his eyes. He had used the bandages and disinfectant she had put out for him while she ostensively went out to drink. He did not take the painkillers.

`You know, I imagined you a bit differently`, she says. Izuna does not react but she continues anyway, to keep her mind out of the cold. `Your older brother is serious so you should have been his foil: more sarcastic, daredevil...` . Izuna only looks at her and shakes his head.

They stay silent, watching the rain from the entrance. Ayame broods. He hasn’t asked her any more details on how they’ll get back. He does not seem tense.

`Z _ettai ha zettai ni nai_ is what my brother always says`, he says after a while, seemingly reading her thoughts.

`Did he say that before battle?` Ayame asks idly.

`When he tried to convince us to make peace with the Senju`, he replies. `We still fought a lot with the Senju clan. Did they manage to have real peace after all?`

`Despite you being killed most probably by the Senju, you mean?` Ayame replies, cutting to the subject. Izuna seemingly remains unbothered but his eyes glitter dangerously.

`Did you wish for the fighting to continue?` she asks him.

`You need a clear winner if you want to feel safe at least a while`, Izuna replies. `And maybe we like fighting for fighting’s sake` he adds smiling coldly. `We have Battle-blood, don’t you know?`

`Winning without a fight is the mark of a great general` Ayame replies.

`Who said that?`

`A great general`.

`Did that general win his fights without battling?`

`Maybe some….but in later days **he** started wars`.

Izuna snorts softly and shakes his head. She sighs frustrated. The thunderstorm continues.

Boredom and exhaustion set in. The landscape, the sounds are impressive, but the cold the sheet of rain makes it impossible to see anything. After a while, even the falling lightning-strikes stop bothering her so much. The sound-waves crash into her once, twice from the actual thunder and then pass. Her body got used to it and it’s almost comforting. The sound of rain is lulling her to sleep.

Aimlessly, Ayame takes Izuna’s hand, rough and scarred from cuts and burns. She traces scars absently, a hint of curiosity in the mind-numbing boredom that has settled. Hands tell so much about a person.

He puts his other arm around her and tugs at her obi. She jumps away, dropping his hand like hot iron. His fingers close on her hand and she cannot get away.

`No, just NO. What? Why, _no_ , why? Did you think…` She starts, bewildered.

`Isn’t this why you took us to a secluded place? It has great energy flow as well. I presume you plan to exact a price for taking me back` Izuna tells her, roughly forcing her to sit again next to him.

Ayame feels the blood drain from her face. `NO!`, she stammers. `How could you think I…` she stops. She is trembling from rage, at him for his assumptions, at her for not being able to explain properly. _If I were a guy we won’t be having this discussion,_ she thinks irritated. She takes a deep breath, which coincides with a thunderclap. The Ripple, as she had started calling it, washes away her fury and she faces him again, more calmly. `Have you ever received that kind of _offer_?’ she asks him.

Izuna shrugs.

`It’s not because I plan to take anything from you that we are stopping here` she starts.

Izuna watches her from under his eyelashes. They’re long and glossy and she is momentarily distracted. She shakes her head continues.

`It’s because I’m not sure I c-`.She sees the corner of Izuna’s mouth twitch and she stops.

`You send signals that are easy to misinterpret`, Izuna replies calmly.

Ayame grimaces and scoots away from him. Izuna does not comment anymore but he seems to be deep in thought. Ayame also starts replaying their last conversation and starts having doubts about the sincerity of his actions. _Am I that easy to read? Everybody attacks me from this angle._

`I will make you happy then`, Izuna says suddenly and she tenses but he gets up stiffly and checks his injury. He goes out and drinks deeply as well, then turns towards her.

`Save me`, he tells her and steps into the void.

Ayame screams and immediately regrets it. Her throat is on fire. She jumps after him, her other injuries forgotten. She stretches her hands but they are too far apart and the distance between them is widening. The cold wind is whipping their hair and clothes around. _Why does gravity have to work the same here_ , she thinks desperately when Izuna, takes off his hair tie and his hair flows up in wet tendrils. She manages to catch a wet strand and grips it with all her power, terrified. They almost start down a foaming torrent when they hit warm water.

She instinctively opens her mouth and salt water rushes in her nose and throat. Izuna gets up, balancing on top of the water and Ayame floats. They look around. It is morning. The weather is sunny and warm, a soft breeze making small undulating waves. There’s no land in sight. The turquoise sea is darker around Ayame, blood dissipating in thin tendrils, like smoke.

The sun will become a threat soon, of heatstroke and dehydration. Izuna takes Ayame on his back and starts moving toward a random direction. The water is not the indigo of the deep ocean, but 3 or 300 metres is not a big difference with no land in sight.

Soon, the sun beats down on them mercilessly. She puts a cloth on her head. She asks from time to time to be let into the water to cool down. Her throat is raw her lips cracked. Her skin itches from the salt. Her wounds sting. They either got cleaner or she got a nasty thing. Izuna has white lines running down his clothes.

She thinks of sharks. But none come. The sun continues shining even brighter.

Ayame gets lightheaded. She feels like going down into the sea. Izuna also starts losing some of his control. He stumbles and falls into the water sometimes. Dehydration has set in for both of them.

Ultimately, he can’t carry her anymore and lets her into the water. Ayame floats, not caring about her wound anymore. A shark would be better. They might get somewhere else.

The water under her starts boiling and she screams in surprise. Izuna kicks her out of the water and starts running, a rush of adrenaline waking them out of their stupor. The water starts bubbling and evaporating around them with a thin whistling sound. They are in a kettle pot. There’s a reddish glow somewhere down, under the water. Ayame feels suffocated from the hot steam.

They fall and get in the middle of a rice field, splashing in the mud. For a few seconds, the cold feels like heaven, then she remembers the wound, sees the reddish glow of fires and recognises the place.

The ringing in her ears from the high pitch kettle like sounds disappear and she hears screams and shouts. Somebody stomps the mud next to her face, throwing wet earth on her face. The blurry form of Izuna staggers and joins the fray. She gets up as well and stumbles upon a corpse. It moans in pain and she realises it’s still alive. Looking at its face she sees Tadanobu, face white from a deep wound in his belly. The ringing in her ears from before, returns with a vengeance. She frantically tries to help him, slips in the mud. In the end, she manages to drag him out of the field.

It had got surprisingly quiet. A couple of figures mill around but none seem interested to approach her or attack. Izuna appears at her side and tries to drag her away. Her frantic protests attract the attention of the others, who do not dismiss her for a civilian caught in a crossfire anymore, and fan around her and Izuna, with Tadanobu between them.

`Who is there?`, she hears a voice. The speaker is a man in his forties, eyes and hair black, dressed in nondescript dark faded clothing, perfect for moving around at night undetected. `Identify yourself`.

`Identify _yourself_ `, Izuna replies, and the man stiffens, before recovering. He rummages in a backpack and takes out something rectangular and metallic, which glints in the night. it has a swirly symbol on it.

`We’re the Uchiha Police Force from the village of Konohagakure, here on road maintenance. We saw fires and came to help. We have subdued the perpetrators. Now it’s your turn. Are you Uchiha Izuna?`, the man asks flatly, voice hard.

`Hello Saito-san`, Izuna replies. `Did you marry Haruko in the end?`

The man, Uchiha Saito stiffens then seems to relax. Next to her Izuna tenses and Ayame looks up from trying to staunch the bleeding from Tadanobu’s wound. A second afterwards, the other men also shift into a battle stance. Five newcomers appear in the night.

`What do you want, Kunichika?` she hears Saito ask coolly. `Shouldn’t you be somewhere else?`

`We decided we should help our _fellow village members_ in their duties`, she hears a gravelly voice answer from the darkness. `Too much suspicious things happening around, what with you lot scurrying around like rats along the borders. I see you have some prisoners. We’ll take them for interrogation and you can wrap things up here`.

`You are mistaken`, Saito replies.

`Am I? We’ll see during the interrogation`.

`No`.

`No? Do you perhaps know them, Saito? Are you in league with them? Should we take **you** back for an interrogation?`

Izuna slowly moves closer to the ground, prepared to rush in.

Saito laughs. `It’s the Chief of Police Archives for you, Kunichika. And I dare you **try** and drag me _anywhere`_.

Ayame puts her head down and tries to encourage Tadanobu. He grips her hands forcefully, teeth chattering from cold. He keeps asking for water but she doesn’t have any. She screws her eyelids shut, trying to block everything else, trying to see how they can get Tadanobu to safety, when a searing light dances in front of her eyelids, then Hanae is next to her, shaking her shoulder and spiriting her away. She shouts at him they need to take Tadanobu as well but Hanae only strengthens his grip on her. Izuna sprints after them. Around them the stalemate has dissolved into a melee the other Uchiha having joined in trying to help them get away.

Tadanobu remains on the ground.

*******

**Same night, end of May, Iwa Daimyo Summer House, K18**

The Iwa Daimyo is lost in the movements of his character. His mask only lets him see a little, helping him focus on the dance moves. He played the warrior _shura mono,_ the madwoman _kyōjo mono_ and is now in the final play, getting ready to vanquish the oni.

Tomorrow he will leave for the capital to meetings with the Iwa shinobi about their intelligence gathered in Fire and Wind Country. Today they aren’t here. Daimyo do not let ninja in their home, but keep the tool separate. They are patrolling the outside of the residence, protecting him from afar. Inside, he has his loyal retainers.

The demon suddenly turns to him, head swinging. It dances closer and closer, and suddenly the hand strikes and he feels the bite of steel in his flesh, feels a momentary coldness and the Iwa daimyo expires.

The _tomo_ and _tsure_ start attacking as well, clearing the oni’s path. There is only time for some strangled screams, easily silenced.

One stops and asks the oni in a low voice. `Did the others hear us?`

The oni makes a series of signs, listens then shakes his head. `Still in the clear`.

`Good, let’s keep it that way`, the other replies. `You can go first, I’ll arrange the room`.

The other nods and the three clones dispel. The other gets to work.

Off in the fields, Hatake receives his clones’ memories. He gets up and continues on his first mission. Suzuki has everything under control.

****

**Same night, outside the gates of Sunagakure**

Madara looks up at the gates, makes a seal and the gates get blown away. He jumps in, running on top of buildings, fighting more and more opponents. He has **_missed_** this, the action the thrill of battle, the thrill of fighting strong opponents. And he should pay back that insult. Interested in Tobirama indeed. Objectively recognising that man’s talents doesn’t change the fact he wants to rip his insides out for what he did to his brother. But it is still time. He will take everything from Tobirama, his most precious thing. He is Hokage now so his village should be enough.

He rushes in and the shinobi become more and more desperate to stop him. He grins and pushes onwards toward their water reservoirs. He will pay them back tenfold. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:  
> I played with various tropes here: the most obvious one is the cave incident. No explanations needed I hope.   
> Noh theatre is heavily refernced here. There’s a form of theatre which developed under the tutelage of the samurai, a sort of interpretative dance story telling, heavily stylised. There are five types, three which are presented here. The daimyo is killed, fittingly by the oni during the final play, called kiri, which can mean, depending on the context, `end` or `cut`.


End file.
